


Love and Mana

by InnogenRenz



Series: Klaus and Finral AU [2]
Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Black Clover Manga Spoilers, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt, Hurt Finral Roulacase, Internal Conflict, Internalized Homophobia, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Just figured I'd tag it, Klaus is a supportive brother figure, Langris sucks, Listen they're oblivious as hell and that's it, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Not mentioned a lot, One-Sided Attraction, Pining, Supportive Black Bulls, Supportive Mimosa Vermillion, Surprisingly Klaus focused, Vanessa is frustrated, You'll see what I mean, as usual, kind of, no beta we die like men, or so he thinks, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2020-10-24 13:17:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 88,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20706647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnogenRenz/pseuds/InnogenRenz
Summary: As the days start to pass on their friendship, Klaus starts realizing something alarming. Their dynamic is changing, his own feelings as well, something he doesn't even want to touch. He tries to keep it contained, really, he does, but everything is crumbling.The Royal Knights entrance exam is right around the corner after all, perhaps afterwards would be a good time to figure it out. Until something happens, and he has to deal with the aftermath.(Part 2 to Chance Encounters, and will delve into manga spoilers)





	1. New Feelings and Old Collide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, here we are! This is still self-indulgent but I'm having tons of fun, anyways, this is more of a lighthearted chapter beginning than the next couple so be warned. 
> 
> As always, my Tumblr is @innogens-breadsticks, and I hope you enjoy

Finral supposed he was getting reliant on these weekly meetups, every month they continued, always at the same café with the same drinks and the same food. He didn't even mind it, really, although the guilt of having Klaus pay every time was starting to get to him. His attachment to this routine, just the routine and not the person involved he told himself, was only exacerbated by the fact they communicated via callers almost every night.

Even if he was exhausted, practically dead on his feet, he would still feel a rush of excitement before he went to bed. Those twenty or so minutes of conversation were starting to quickly become the best part of the day, and the meetups were the best part of the week. Although he didn't hide it well at all.

His squad was catching on pretty fast, the Black Bulls were reckless, sure, they were wild, also correct. But they weren't stupid, well, not all of them. The point was, that more and more of them were starting to notice how distracted Finral seemed. He'd even cut back on his flirting, he would still try his hand at a pick-up line every once in a while but no effort was put into it, it was all for show and they knew it.

But no one had done anything yet, it was as if they were waiting for the pin to drop, to have an excuse to come rushing in. Finral hadn't given them that much. He still went about his business, making an effort to ignore their weirdness. Not that it really did much to ease his mind, but pretending everything was the same as usual was enough for him.

After the mess of a surprise party a few weeks earlier, there had been the Star Festival, where Yuno and Asta had been celebrated for their hard work. The Black Bulls had even placed second in squad rankings, behind the Golden Dawn of course, they'd both been pleasantly surprised by that turn of events. Congratulations had been in order afterwards, but that plan was dashed by the announcement of the Royal Knights exam.

All of a sudden, every magic knight was nervous, on edge, both excited and terrified by the prospect of the tournament, and these two were no exception. But this little adventure was a break from the chaos of their usual duties, which had only grown harder in the past few months. The Eye of the Midnight Sun were proving to be a difficult and wily enemy, they'd struck several villages, and even the capital, in shows of power and in pursuit of the magic stones. They'd severely injured Fuegoleon, who was known for his battle prowess, and their leader could take on several other powerful captains and still not be beaten down.

Suffice to say, nervousness and a little bit of fear was a healthy reaction to such terrifying foes, even if the Black Bulls had defeated several of the upper echelon members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. Well, they had, but it had taken sacrifice, and a whole lot of power they didn't know they had. Maybe a hint of teamwork.

Finral brushed those thoughts aside, they seemed to seep into his consciousness more and more these days. It was Saturday, he told himself, this was the one day he wasn't going to worry about criminals, or his stupid brother, or anything even remotely serious. Although, he reasoned, he'd have to focus on his problems at some point, just not right now. Or any time in the near future.

He sighed and stopped for a second before he reached the door of _Home's Taste_, Klaus was in the corner of his eye, giving him a small wave. It was only a brief moment, but it was all he needed, he plastered an easy-going grin on his face opened the door in front of him.

As he stepped inside, happily greeted by a now familiar server, and a few other regular patrons. The older woman was behind the counter, he had learned her name was Margot, and that she had inherited this place from her father, who had been a shoe peddler. Conversation with her never seemed dull, she always had stories when he or Klaus would ask, and never hesitated to give them out.

"How's my favorite customer today?" She asked, her smile emphasizing the wrinkles on her aged face 

"Oh don't lie to me, ma'am," he chuckled, swiftly moving through the space, "I know you like Klaus the best."

"Well, perhaps I like you both equally." She replied, wiping down her counter.

"And that's a lie!" He called back as he made it to the doorway that connected the patio to the building.

With a twist of his hand, and a bit of excitement in his step, he opened the door. After a few seconds of his eyes adjusting to the brightness outside, he spotted his friend at their usual table. He quickly padded over to his side of the table, his usual coffee and scone laying there as always.

"Hey." He said as he sat down, twisting his body to get comfortable.

"Hello to you as well." Klaus replied, sipping his tea and raising his eyebrow.

"Sorry about being late, Luck was being difficult today." He said, thinking back to how hyper his squadmate had been, all too eager to try and fight Finral this morning, "I think he's excited by the exam."

"He's not the only one," Klaus replied, looking a bit stressed, "Yuno and Mimosa have been training a lot harder, they're also looking forward to it."

"How has Yuno been, you know, since the party?" Finral tactfully asked.

Klaus stiffened the tiniest bit, his face turning an obvious shade of pink, "He's been fine, but he took my... lapse in judgement as an excuse to be even more insubordinate than usual."

"Ah yes," Finral said, a smug smile finding it's way on his face, "your 'lapse in judgement', is that what we're calling it now?"

"Fine, how about we call it 'your friend got me drunk and made me regret all my life decisions'?" Klaus snapped, annoyed about Finral bringing it up.

"Well, that's also accurate." Finral replied, backing off of it now.

"Hmph," Klaus said, pushing his frames up the bridge of his nose, "of course it is."

"Anyways," Finral said, pushing past the subject, "is it really any different than what he usually does?"

Klaus sighed, "I suppose not, it still irks me that he refuses to listen. Especially since..." he trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Finral picked up what he was laying down, "Yeah," he said, signaling to Klaus that he understood, "that makes sense."

They both had Langris' words on their minds, they knew he'd follow through on his threat, he could be ruthless when he wanted to. But it would be no use to try and confront Yuno, the boy would only grow suspicious.

"Moving on," Klaus said, eager to not discuss this particular subject, "how's training for the Royal Knights exam going?"

"Same as usual," Finral sighed, mussing his hair, "I told you yesterday, but that new spell? Not an attack one."

"Well, it's very rare spatial magic users are able to attack, with the exception being..." Klaus trailed off, cursing himself for going back to the one subject neither of them wanted to discuss.

"Yeah," Finral said, ignoring the last part of Klaus' statement, a relief to both of them, "I know, but still... what use am I in battle if I can't even fight?"

"Finral," Klaus sighed, "you have useful magic, remember when you told me about the fight with Vetto? About how you were able to send his attacks back at him?"

Finral gave a pained smile in return, "Sure, but still, a magic knight who can't even use his own attacks..."

"You mean a kind, caring, amazing magic knight? One who works hard to protect his squad, who tries to take care of all of them while still trying to get stronger?" Klaus said, miffed at Finral's opinion of himself.

"Klaus..." Finral said, both embarassed and a tad happy.

Klaus froze for a moment, realizing what he just said. His cheeks grew flushed, and he gripped his cup with both his hands. "I-I mean that you still have room for improvement of course, after all, everyone has flaws."

"You're still just a big softy." Finral chuckled, taking a bite out of his scone.

"I am not!" Klaus hissed, offended by Finral bringing up the age old argument.

"I'm sorry, who just went on a rant because their friend felt bad? And who let children braid their hair? And who keeps taking care of the chaotic force that is Mimosa and Yuno?" Finral said, teasing him.

"Those were-, that's not-" Klaus sputtered, his body tensing up, "I-I am a very serious member of the Golden Dawn, I am not- I'm not a softy!"

"Your protests only give fuel to my fire." Finral smugly replied, enjoying every moment.

"Listen," Klaus said, pushing up his glasses in a frantic manner, "it's my job to guide my subordinates, I'm just doing my duty!"

"Pfft, you're the only one in your squad who does that, so that's a lie." Finral replied, laughing a bit.

Klaus bit back a poorly planned response and settled for sulking a bit while he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He lifted his tea to his mouth for a sip to calm down, and noticed out of the corner of his eye that Finral suddenly looked different, like he'd been struck by a sudden idea. He pushed down the embarrassment from earlier and turned to talk to him.

"Why do you look so excited?" He questioned, also hoping to move past the current conversation.

"I just remembered something," Finral began, tapping his fingers on the table, "we were on a mission a while back and we found something pretty cool!"

"Really?" Klaus replied, slightly intrigued.

"And now that I think about it, you'd probably really like it." Finral mused, putting a finger on his chin.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" Klaus asked, a joking tone evident in his voice.

"I think it'd be better to show you." Finral said, getting up from the table.

"We haven't even been here five minutes!" Klaus said, not wanting to leave his tea.

"We can just come back later," Finral said, trying to ease his mind, "it's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal-," Klaus repeated in an incredulous tone, "you want us to leave without paying, or at least drinking or eating what we ordered!"

"Okay, fine, I'll just go let them know." Finral sighed, pushing in his chair and marching over to go back inside to talk the servers.

Klaus stood up, his arm outstretched to the other man, "Wait, what are you-" He was cut off by Finral entering the building.

"That fool..." He muttered, quietly and to himself, pushing his glasses up once more to disguise the small smile that had grown on his face.

After a minute or so of waiting, which was just what he needed to collect himself, Finral came back. He pushed open the door in a triumphant manner, an enthusiastic look on his face. With energy in his step, he marched back to his friend.

"They said as long we come back, it'd be fine!" Finral called as stepped up to the table, his tone conveying a tad bit of smugness.

Klaus sighed, "That's not a sound business practice. Perhaps I should talk to them, they really shouldn't be letting people doing this."

"Dude," Finral said, conveying his annoyance, "this is why they're letting us do this, you're way too nice to con them."

Klaus whipped his head in shock and part mock offense, "I am not, you take that back!"

"You are." A passing voice interjected, a glance revealed it to be a server they were on friendly terms with.

Klaus hmphed, turning his head purposefully away from the person who'd just walked by.

"See, Ira agrees!" Finral said, tugging on Klaus' arm. "Thanks, Ira!" Finral called to the waitress.

"Anytime." She replied, filling someone's cup with water.

"Fine..." Klaus sighed, giving up. He let Finral drag him up and out of his seat.

"Perfect, let's go!" He said, opening a portal. "Be back in a jiff!" He called out to the waitress he just talked to.

Klaus hid his face from the curious onlookers, a bit embarassed by his friends outburst. It didn't matter much anyways as Finral shoved him through a second later, giving him little time to prepare. His glasses slipped down his face as he rushed through, he was blinded by the sudden change and in scenery and the lack of clear sight.

From sound, he was able to determine Finral was behind him and had closed his portal, after a moment of relief, he pushed his glasses back up into his face. Once he was finally able to get a good look at his surroundings, he noticed that they were in a forrest. No, not a forrest, it was an old village, overgrown with trees and bushes, obscured by time and nature. Tree tops were connecting above them, their shadows making the area cool and calming.

The buildings looked old, like an early settlement, they had houselike structures with holes in the wall that seemed to resemble windows. Vines were growing over them, and the ground had shifted under them so that some were cracked open, like an egg that had been gently split. It looked so old, it dated the pair's own age by decades, if not centuries.

"What is this place?" Klaus said, still taking in the sights around him.

"I don't really know," Finral said, scratching his head. "But we found it, and I remember you said that you liked old buildings, so..."

"This is amazing!" Klaus said, the excitement hard to hide in his voice, "This predates the 12th Wizard King, by... at least several decades!" The pause he took was so he could recall the exact information he'd been taught, now he could come up with a basic timeline.

"Really, you know what era it's from?" Finral asked, surprised by his friends informative statement.

"Well, by the end of the reign of the 12th Wizard King, these kind of housing arrangements were no longer being built, see you can tell it's made out of entirely different materials, just look at that wall of there!" He pointed to a dilapidated house, who's wall was half decayed. "And even then, this kind of building style was no longer used by that point, so who knows, this might even predate the Clover Kingdom itself!"

"You can tell all that... from a wall?" Finral questioned, completely lost.

"Ah, Finral, this is absolutely wonderful, there's so much to be learned about this place, how does no one know about this?" Klaus turned to his companion, a genuine smile spread across his face.

Finral stopped for a moment, the sight in front of him stuck in his mind. His friend looked so... happy, so genuinely excited about this old, worndown place. Klaus was able to see the beauty in the structure, the meaning of things, not just outside appearance. Finral smiled, glad to have made someone like him happy, even for a brief second.

"Well, I don't know, there's no villages nearby or anything, maybe there was a settlement here and they left?" Finral supplied, pushing his thoughts aside.

"So it's secluded? That explains how it's remained untouched for... probably centuries!" Klaus exclaimed, he took an unsure step forward, not knowing where to start.

"Woah, I just wanted to show you, I said we'd be back in a few minutes, we don't wanna make everyone worry." Finral said, reaching for his shoulder.

Finral's hand connected to Klaus' body, yanking him from his trancelike state. "A-ah," he stuttered, unsure of how to handle physical contact.

Finral suddenly lifted his hand up, concerned about Klaus' reaction. "Are you alright?" He asked, eyeing him with worry.

"What? Ah yes, I'm fine!' He said, more nervous than usual, although he was unsure why.

"Did you hear what I said? We should be getting back." He repeated, still a tad concerned.

"Oh, I guess you're right." He replied, his tone conveying disappointment.

"Aww," Finral cooed, "don't worry, we can come back some other time."

"I wasn't worried!" He protested, keeping his arms tightly wrapped around himself, "It's for the best anyways, I couldn't make a proper analysis right now, I'd have to review some history first."

"If you say so," Finral said, laughing a bit to himself. "anyways, this place is pretty cool, it'd be a shame to never come back."

"It's... cool?" Klaus asked, surprised by his statement.

"Well, sure. It's interesting to think about how people used to be here," Finral said, tapping his chin, "and who knows, it might be nice to live here one day."

"Well, it'd take some rebuilding to accomplish that." Klaus grimaced, although he enjoyed the bare bones of this place, it was no way fit for human habitation now.

"Maybe," Finral laughed, "but it's a silly dream anyways." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I didn't say it was impossible," Klaus interjected, adjusting his glasses to hide his face, "you'd need to get supplies, the proper wood, mortar, tools and such. But it's certainly nothing we couldn't accomplish."

Finral turned to him, surprise evident on his face, "Huh? You... really think so?"

"It'd be an educational experience for me, so it's not like I'd be doing it out of the goodness of my heart!" Klaus suddenly spit out, wanting to defend his non-existant reputation as a serious, cool noble.

He turned away to hide his crimson face. Why, he thought to himself, why am I acting like this? He felt... exhilarated, no, nervous? His heart pounded like he was in the middle of a fight for his life, the last time he felt like this was when he was fighting that diamond mage. His life had flashed before him then, he had been so close to the edge of destruction, absolute oblivion, it was no wonder his heart had gone crazy, filled with adrenaline. But why... why did _Finral_ suddenly seem to have that same effect, it simply made no sense...

He had no time to think as Finral opened the portal, and quickly decided to drag himself out of his thoughts. He speedily marched through the portal, desperate to go back to a familiar place to ground himself. He would have to wait to analyze his own odd behavior, he couldn't do it right now.

He was spit out at his table, flustered self and all, he spotted Ira staring at him out of the corner of his eye. She shook her head and went back to her duties, ignoring them and whatever chaos they seemed to bring. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Klaus and Finral had befriended the staff and owner, without even knowing they really had. They were polite, ordered the same thing everytime and left generous tips, which soon devolved into having their order already prepared for them on Saturdays, the staff asking how they were and vice versa.

The staff at _Home's Taste_ was closeknit and small, looking out for each other and any way to keep their business afloat. Although the older woman had inherited the building from her late father, it took much of her money that she had worked for to turn it into a café. She enjoyed it, loved it even, but such a small establishment was hardly profitable, especially given how fierce competition could be. But the staff she hired were fiercely loyal and competent, viewing her as their mother figure, they were willing to do their best.

Ira, although putting up a cold and irritated front, cared a lot about the business and hoped to run it one day, and put effort into learning how to lead. Another server, the much more immature Jax, was loud and brash, but easily discouraged. They clashed but cared about each other, and their other colleague, Mila. Mila was just trying to find a place, she had drifted from her family and friends, and had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. She didn't want to marry, to be some old man's young bride, she wanted independence but didn't know how. But for now, she was here, and that was enough.

Klaus muttered to himself about being more serious before deciding to sit back down as Finral made his portal dissipate. Finral waved through the window to the inside of the building at Margot, who was now cleaning glasses. She waved back with am easy smile.

"See, I told you it'd be fine." Finral said, chuckling as he pulled out his seat.

"You did." Klaus said, trying to keep his response to a minimum.

"Hey, are you okay?" Finral asked, finally addressing his concerns.

"H-huh?" Klaus replied, caught off guard by the question.

"You just... you're acting a bit weird, I really can't put my finger on it." Finral responded, his voice a little distant to Klaus' ringing ears.

"I-I think I'm coming down with something." He muttered. Yeah, he told himself, that must be it.

"Really? That can't happen, not with the exam right around the corner." Finral muttered, he suddenly raised his hand and waved frantically to inside, catching the attention of the staff, "Hey, can we get some Ginger tea?" He called out.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Klaus blanched, a nervous bit of fear finding it's way to his heart.

"Well, you said you're getting sick, and I know Ginger tea helps with colds so... I figured you'd want some?" Finral finished, putting pauses between his words.

Klaus took a beat to start thinking again, he felt his face heat up involuntarily and he cursed every plane of existence internally.

"Wait, are you running a fever?" Finral asked, his face looked genuinely worried.

"Uh, no! Really, I'm fine, I just probably need some rest!" He said, a panicked edge to his voice.

"If you say so," Finral said, sighing as he leaned back in his chair, "but you're having that tea."

"I-If I must." Muttered Klaus with a small twitch of his lips.

After a moment of silence, Mila came rushing out, with Jax tagging along, with the tea Finral had asked for.

"Here's the tea you wanted, sir." She said, remaining formal as always.

"Aw, come on Mila, it's just Finral, you don't need to be so serious." Jax muttered, setting down the cup while his colleague leaned over with the kettle and poured the tea in.

"And that's why don't get any good tips." A voice said from behind them, they didn't have to turn to know it was Ira "What's the problem here?" She asked.

"Sorry for being loud, but Klaus said he wasn't feeling well, so I thought hot tea would be a good remedy." Finral chuckled, rubbing his head in embarrassment.

"Figures." Jax muttered, fiddling with his shirt.

Ira lightly slapped his shoulder in a disapproving manner, telling him to get back to work. Jax sighed and slowly stared to amble inside. She gestured for Mila to do the same and the girl listened without protest, as usual.

"As long as everything's okay, then it's all good." Ira said, turning to the two men at the table.

"Of course, sorry again for being so loud." Finral said, shooting a smile up to her.

"Yeah, whatever." She sighed as she walked away, focusing on doing her job.

"Thanks, Ira!" He said, calling after her. She responded by waving him off.

"Isn't she always a peach," said Finral, his voice laced with laughter, "anyways, how's your training going?"

"Well, uh, my training..." Klaus started, he didn't know why it was so hard to speak but it just was, "is going well. I told you, but that new spell I developed is working out nicely, and I've managed to bulk up decently." He managed to spit it out without too much trouble.

"Really? So working out paid off? Maybe I should've been doing that." Finral sighed, leaning on the table.

"Perhaps." Klaus replied, keeping it succinct.

"Are you going to drink it? It's gonna get cold." Finral said, gesturing to the two cups of tea in front of Klaus.

"I have to finish the one I ordered first." He replied, keeping his hands clasped close to the tea in question.

"Oh yeah." Finral said, he'd completely forgotten about that.

"A-anyways," Klaus said, wincing at the stutter, "how are the Black Bulls doing, training wise? Any changes from yesterday?"

"Not really," muttered Finral, "I mean Luck and Magna are excited for it, and I think Noelle and Asta are looking forward to it as well, especially after Captain Mereoleona took them for training."

"I'm not even sure that was legal." Klaus said, "We were looking for Yuno for so long after the festival, I was worried out of my mind."

"Yeah she... she's something else." Finral said, a shudder went through him.

"I don't believe I've ever seen her before," Klaus said, deep in thought. "frankly, all I really know is that she's as strong, if not stronger than, Fuegoleon. But I've also heard that she's... insanely fierce and stubborn."

"That about sums her up," Finral replied, a faraway look on his face, "at least what I've seen of her."

"I guess we can be thankful that someone worthy is filling the spot of Captain for the Crimson Lion Kings." Klaus said, taking a long sip of the tea he ordered.

"You were worried about that?" Finral asked, not really surprised.

"N-no, I was just thinking about how it'd reflect on the Golden Dawn, I mean, we're often compared with them after all." He said, trying to regain the cover of pride.

"Ah, of course." Finral replied with a bit of sarcasm.

"Don't 'of course' me." Klaus muttered, finishing the tea he'd ordered and starting on the one Finral had gotten him.

Finral stiffened for a moment, a fleeting look of consideration was on his face before resolve set in. He steeled himself, preparing for what he was about to say.

"You know, you can just say that you care about people, right? There's really no reason to hide it." Finral said, finally addressing his long withheld thoughts.

"I don't care about things like that, so there's nothing to hide." Klaus responded, a little defensive.

"You can't just say it's for 'the pride of the Golden Dawn' all the time, you're allowed to be a person." Finral said.

"You don't understand," Klaus said, an exasperated tone in his voice, "I can't. I'm... a noble, and as one, I have to uphold a reputation. I have to bring my family honor, that's my duty as well."

"I... think I understand better than most," Finral said, being a little vague but putting genuineness into his words, "but your family and their expectations shouldn't be running your entire life, you know you have to break away at some point."

"I-I can't do that, I have responsibilities, I have an obligation to them." Klaus explained, a note of resignation in his voice.

"And I'm your friend." Finral said, reaching over and laying his hand on Klaus' arm, "And so are Yuno and Mimosa, and Asta. Which means we all also care about you, and I think they'd agree with me. You're allowed to be independent." He looked at him and gave him an encouraging smile.

Klaus pointedly looked away, his expression serious and stony. "I... I don't want to talk about this." He silenced himself by taking a long swig of the Ginger tea in front of him.

Finral's smile slipped off his face, he sighed and pulled his hand back. "If you say so."

The silence between them was tense, neither of them wanted to say a word. Klaus was finishing his tea, the Ginger would've usually been a treat, but with this atmosphere it tasted bitter. But... Finral had gotten it for him, so he had to finish it.

"Klaus," Finral said, shattering the tension between them, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep, I know that you value your family's pride and I really should respect that. I just... want you to be happy, you're my friend and I care about you."

Klaus didn't want to react, he really wished he could just... shut off his emotions. But he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. His body tensed, and he refused to let himself look up and meet Finral's eyes.

"Thanks for apologizing," he eventually said, letting his jaw relax enough to open, "I know... I know you want to help, but, let me do it my way? Please?"

"Yeah, whatever you need to do." Finral said, tension leaving his shoulders.

Klaus took one last sip of the Ginger tea and was surprised to find no liquid in it, it was gone now. He sighed and reached into his robe to find money to pay for their food and drinks. Finral noticed, and with a guilty conscience, opened his mouth.

"Let me pay for it this time." He said, reaching into his own pocket.

"Nonsense, I'm doing it and that's final." Klaus said, his movements and voice becoming less stiff.

"I just made you angry, I'm not letting you pay for it." Finral said, finally grabbing onto the bag where he kept his money.

"If you're taking that route, then technically you shouldn't try and make me mad by paying for it." Klaus responded, pulling out the coins he kept.

"Now that's just manipulation." Finral said, slowly starting to get more annoyed.

"Maybe, but it's working, isn't it?" Klaus said, his eyes narrowing.

"I won't be defeated by such a dirty trick." Finral said, accepting the silent challenge.

"Can one of you just pay already?" A voice cut in, they both looked towards the source and weren't surprised to find it was Jax.

"But out." Finral sternly replied, having non of his shit today.

"Rude. I'm gonna tell Margot on you." The boy lazily replied.

"He said back off, Jax!" Klaus turned and snapped, the boy visibly jumped back.

"Jeez, touchy much?" He muttered trying to play off his fear, moseying off to find something else to do.

The two turned to look at each other as soon as Jax was out of earshot, and after a beat of silence, started laughing uncontrollably. It was a surprise to both of them, to have this moment of levity. But when you're close to someone, sometimes you can't help but be connected, even in moments of disagreement.

"That, that was," Finral said, almost unable to breathe, "so not funny."

"It-it really wasn't," Klaus said, trying to regroup himself, "I scared that poor boy!"

"Jax is a little shit," Finral replied, taking gulping breathes, "he totally deserved it."

"That's so rude," Klaus responded, finally calming down long enough to speak clearly, "but you're not wrong, either."

"Listen," Finral started, his voice getting a tad more serious, "Are we, are we cool?"

It took a beat for the question to sink in, "I'd say so." Klaus replied, a little surprised by Finral. He turned his head to look for Jax.

"Thank god." Finral muttered, too soft for the other person to hear. He really didn't want what they had to be ruined because of him, he would never forgive himself if what he said had.

"Ah, well, I should get going." Klaus said as he stood up, he'd been here long enough and frankly, he needed to figure out what was wrong with himself.

"If you need to." Finral said, trying to kick himself out of his daze while also standing up from his chair. He reached into his bag to get a few coins out.

Klaus did the same, and with a silent agreement, they laid an equal number of coins on the table. And, for the first time, split the cost as equals.

They left the café together, as per the usual routine, and were able to have a normal conversation once again. Well, almost. Klaus still found it difficult to reply, he was second-guessing himself now, so unsure of how to talk to Finral. Which was ridiculous, he'd known him for months now, and they talked almost every day so why was it so hard?

"Well, talk to you later." Finral said, his voice dragging Klaus out of his thoughts.

"Yes, later." Klaus muttered back, raising his hand as a goodbye.

They parted down the street, going in opposite directions. Klaus went on autopilot, finding his usual section of street to cast his spell, his conscious mind still focused on his own behavior. It was just so weird, he reasoned to himself, there was simply no explanation for the... jiterriness he felt.

Even as the sky was darkening from bright yellows to muted embers, he was too wrapped up in his own head to notice. The path was so familiar, he was able to put almost no effort into directing himself back home. Besides, the mana that the Golden Dawn base gave off seemed to subconsciously draw him towards it, beckoning him like an old friend.

It wasn't long before he set down in the courtyard, muttering and mumbling to himself like a mad person, he was lucky everyone was in their chambers or his sanity might've been called into question. Well, almost everyone. Despite the fact that they now knew where their senior went every week, Yuno and Mimosa still hadn't kicked the habit of waiting up for him.

He took his usual path to his room, which happened to pass by the usual training area that the rookies used. Yuno and Mimosa were practicing difficult drills, despite it being later than usual they weren't going to miss an opportunity for training. The crash of mana and magic, an offbeat symphony of chaos, broke him out his trance.

He rushed ahead, concerned for his charges, and stopped at the entrance way leading to the large space. For a brief second, a look of amazement and wonder was on his face, the magic of his friends was still in the air, swirling and rushing about. The symphony might have been terrible, but the visuals were astounding. He forced the look off his face with the flick of his wrist coming up to push up his glasses.

"Mimosa, Yuno, well done." He said, his tone betraying none of his true thoughts of awe.

The two, tired and sweaty, turned to him, surprised that he had gotten back without them knowing. They were standing a distance apart, their grimoires out in front of them and swirling with power. From the looks of it, they'd been sending attacks at each other and watching them collide.

"Klaus, I didn't know you were back already." Mimosa said, finally moving from her position.

"I didn't know you were still up." He replied, moving from the side of the entrance to the middle, "You both need your rest, you won't be able to accomplish anything if you're dead on your feet at the exam."

"I supposed you're right." Mimosa said, too tired to tease him about his nagging. "Lets go, Yuno."

She started walking towards the entrance, gesturing for her squadmate to follow her. Yuno huffed but complied with no real complaint, joint her in their usual line. Once Klaus was sure that they would follow him, he too set off towards their rooms. Over the duration of their trek, his mind wandered back to the day. He thought about his training, both physical and magical, and eventually went back to the old village Finral had shown him. It was majestic, as silly as it was to be amazed by what was basically ruins, he could find no real shame in it.

They had been beautiful, so obviously once filled with life and just begging to have somebody back. Although his proposal to legitimately rebuild one of the houses had been... out there, he found himself daydreaming about it. Having a place outside of the Golden Dawn, not living somewhere cold and... suffocating, sounded amazing. Not to say it wasn't anything more than a child's daydream, it wasn't really feasible, after all, what would Yuno and Mimosa do without him. Not to mention Finral couldn't just leave the Black Bulls base, it wasn't unheard for knights to have their own places to live but it wasn't exactly common either. But still... living there, making his own home with Finral-

He stopped. He froze up, for the briefest second, but it was all that was needed for Mimosa to notice. Where did _that_ come from, he wondered, feeling his face do the familiar routine of flushing. But the way it felt was... uncomfortable and unfamiliar despite making him feel so desperately happy. He convinced himself he was just excited about the history of the ruins, and that was all it was.

"Klaus?" A voice piped from behind him, making him aware he was still stone still in the hallway.

"A-ah, yes? Mimosa?" He said, turning to face her.

"Are you alright?" She said, her eyes looking at him with piercing curiosity. 

What was with everyone asking him that, he wondered to himself. He noticed that Yuno was still turned away from them, but his body language revealed he was still listening in.

"Sorry, just... distracted." He finally settled on, still not sure it was the exact word to use.

"If you say so." She sighed, her shoulders drooping.

They started walking in silence once more, with Klaus stubbornly refusing to let his mind wander back to the earlier part of the day. It was obvious enough to him, something about that encounter seemed to... trip him up. He acted so... awkward, bumbling, and embarrassing when he thought of it. Just like...

He suddenly turned to Mimosa, with determination burning in his eyes. He finally had an idea of how to figure himself out.

"Mimosa," he said, a serious edge to his voice, "why do you act the way you do around Asta?"

"H-huh?" She sputtered, freezing up at the sudden question.

"What I mean is, you're always so well spoken and perfectly blunt around everyone else, you're royalty after all. But whenever you're around Asta, you- you stutter and blush and act foolish, but why? What about him makes you do that?" He asked, hoping her reply would give him an answer.

"I-I really don't know what you mean. Asta, well he's, so strong and powerful, h-how could I not admire him-" she said, proving his point.

"She likes him." Yuno said, cutting her off and finally joining the conversation.

"Y-Yuno!" She hissed, whipping her crimson face towards him. She was shocked with his bluntness, and the fact he was even able to tell, sure she wasn't exactly subtle about it, but Yuno could be... dense.

"She likes him..." Klaus repeated, his mind not connecting the very obvious dots. Until it hit him, a bolt of common sense lightning come to shake up his very soul. "Oh. OH."

"Just please... don't make fun of me..." she said, being unusually vulnerable, her voice squealing with nervous pitches.

"Really, him?" Klaus said, turning to her with indignation.

Yuno whipped his head around, with a look that told Klaus to choose his next words carefully before they'd be his last. His subordinate was certainly something, he thought to himself as he twitched a bit in response.

"Not that Asta isn't wonderful, of course." He said, trying to backtrack, "I'm sure you'd be very happy together."

"Please, Klaus, shut up." She said, hiding her face in her hands.

"Sorry." He said, unusually truthful and forward with his apologies.

"Why'd you even ask?" She said, finally pulling her embarassed face from her hands.

"I," he said, thinking back to the original reason. His heart dropped to the floor. No, he thought, no, absolutely not. "was just... curious."

"I hope that answered your question." She muttered, a tinge of annoyance in her voice as she turned away.

"Ah, Mimosa, I really didn't mean to-" Klaus said, reaching out to her.

"Don't!" She squeaked, her face still burning from Yuno so blatantly telling her secret.

She hustled away, her hands clutched at her chest, towards her room. Klaus' hand was still raised after her, despite his own inner turmoil, he really hadn't meant to embarrass her. He turned to the last person, the one who's reckless words had troubled his charge.

"Yuno, that was completely unnecessary!" He hissed, hoping his words were out of earshot of the girl.

"You asked." The boy muttered in response, unfazed by Mimosa's outburst.

"I did, but it was Mimosa's choice to answer! You had no right-" Klaus said, feeling genuine disappointment towards Yuno for the first time.

"What do you care? You're not our brother." Yuno spat out. He was on edge, he wasn't sure why, but something was just... off lately, he didn't mean to take it out on his teammates but what he said was said.

Klaus was silent, shock plainly evident on his face, for such true and inconsequential words, they... hurt. Surprisingly so. He wasn't their brother, their parent, he was their superior. He was far too easy going on them, because... he'd never really had a connection like this before. It was all new, subordinates, friends... family.

"Yuno." Klaus finally said, staring at him with intensely blank eyes, "I think you need to go to your room."

He didn't give him a chance to respond as Klaus turned around and marched back to his own space with purpose. Yuno suppressed the urge to reach, to apologize, his mouth opened for the briefest of moments before closing again. Fine, he told himself, he knew it wouldn't last anyway. He had Asta and himself, that was enough.

Klaus was too far away by the time Yuno started moving to his own room, telling himself that what he felt wasn't pain, or regret, it was necessary to move forward. He only needed Asta. No one else. He needed to grow strong, to surpass everyone, even if he accidentally hurt feelings in the process.

Klaus was in his own room, closing the door as quickly as possible. He was fine, he told himself through gritted teeth, Yuno was an insubordinate twerp. Maybe... maybe everyone was right, maybe he was such a failure he couldn't even lead children. Maybe Yuno and Mimosa should be taken out of his charge if he couldn't handle them. And if he couldn't handle children, should he even be in the magic knights?

He felt himself spiraling, his mind twisting down a dark path. He stepped over to his bed and sat down, pushing his free hand through his hair. It shouldn't hurt this much, he told himself, the words of someone so, so below him! He was a noble, and Yuno was a peasant, he had no right-

He stopped himself, refusing to let that thought finish. He wasn't going to go back to that way of thinking just because he was being sensitive, Asta had proved him wrong after all. He just needed to think through it, clearly, that's all.

As he shifted his body, bringing his hand down, he felt a familiar weight in his pockets. In a moment of weakness, he reached for it, bringing out the item he was seeking. The caller.

He knew Finral would call him within the next hour, that was how it usually worked. He felt the urge to flip it open, tracing the lid with his thumb, feeling the etchings someone had placed on it. He could... call him now, ask Finral for help. But that... didn't seem right either. No, he wanted... Finral with him.

He couldn't believe it, he actually found himself yearning for someone, how could he be so weak? He... wanted Finral there, next to him, just to have him be near him. Mimosa liked Asta, and that's why she acted the way she did but Klaus... couldn't be the same way. No, not at all.

But it made sense, it made too much damned sense. He wanted to cry, scream, yell and so much more, but he didn't. He was supposed to be a noble, the pinnacle of his own magic, cold and unyielding. But... here he was, beaten down by sentiment, by the words of someone he was told was worthless.

Sometimes Klaus wished he hadn't been born human, something so weak and horrible. Everything he had experienced to this point was pain, not a terrible and sudden kind of pain, but an aching, longing one. He had longed for acceptance, to be wanted, and found himself rejected by his kin, by everyone. Even now it still happened.

He looked down at the caller and with one last wrench of his hand, he'd thrown it down. His heart skipped a beat, worried he'd broken something so precious. But it was fine, it was built to be durable. He spied it on the floor, intact, and looked at his own hand.

Finral, he thought, he could hear his laughter, his words sung through his mind like a bird's on a summers morning. He... he couldn't bear to have Finral leave him as well because he was so weak. Because of these... treacherous feelings. He was already so much of a failure, as a noble, a leader, a magic knight, a... friend. And now, here he was, having... _illegal_ thoughts. That's right, he reminded himself, it was illegal for magic knights to have these kind of thoughts, these... preferences.

Perhaps, he told himself, he could pretend that none of this existed. Like he didn't have these feelings, that Yuno and Mimosa truly were just tools to him, like... a true noble. He could pretend, he told himself, he could do just that. Even a failure like him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this while high on cold medication and caffeine so I hope this makes sense. Anyways one of Klaus' canon hobbies is appreciating architecture and so that's why that's in there.
> 
> Also I had no right making that last part as angsty as I did, because frankly, it was all self gratification. Also as for Yuno, I... do not know what to do with him. Ever. So, yeah, that's why he kinda spurs on Klaus' descent into denial and self doubt.


	2. The Fiercest Lance and It's Dilemma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am super excited to be presenting y'all with this chapter, thank you. I had to stuff too many episodes in here at one time, so uh, it's kind of a yike.
> 
> As always, my Tumblr is @innogens-breadsticks, and I love hearing from you guys, please talk to me if you want to!

Today was the day, the day everyone had been thinking about. Whether you were excited, or nervous, or straight up terrified, this was the day. The Royal Knights entrance exam, although announced only a week ago, almost everyone had been training hard, and were prepared for just about anything. Too bad life likes it's curveballs.

Perhaps it was the air that warned him, maybe it was the tension between his squad, or maybe he just knew. No matter what it was, when Klaus opened his eyes that morning, he could tell the day would be difficult. He stared at the ceiling, all too reluctant to even move himself even one inch. He was still exhausted, not so much physically as mentally.

The last few days had been... difficult, for lack of a better word. Actually there was a better way to describe it, torture. Mimosa, although she had warmed back up to Klaus, was a tad more passive aggressive than usual. And Yuno... was keeping to himself, he hadn't apologized -- not that Klaus wanted him to -- which wasn't unusual, but he ignored them as well. Yuno might pretend to be quiet and disinterested, but little quirks he had would tell someone otherwise, and he'd at least be slightly more talkative with someone he liked. But he'd barely spoken more than a sentence or two to Klaus and Mimosa since the incident a few days ago.

All of this, along with his own predicament and feelings, and the pressure to perform well for the Golden Dawn, were weighing him down. But he had told himself that it didn't matter, he would get results, he'd perform better and finally prove he was a true noble. Even if a small part of him was begging to stay laying in bed, he'd get up and simply push that little voice down, and ignore it.

With a sigh, he heaved himself out of bed. It was early, the sun barely peeking through his small window, it's rays gently illuminating the dark room. He couldn't see clearly and felt around for his glasses, his finger tips brushing the glossy case they slept in. His mind started wandering to who had given him the object, but it was only a brief second before he closed his eyes tightly and willed the thought away. He refused to even consider his inconsequential and traitorous feelings.

Talking to Finral while putting on a front was proving to be a more difficult task than he'd been expecting, of course it only made sense it would be that way. He had formed a genuine bond of trust and sincerity with him, he was able to be the most truthful version of himself around the man, at least that's the way he thought of it. But the person he had to be, was not who Finral was used to, there were some obvious and subtle changes.

It hasn't been more than a few days since he started, but still, something was clearly out of the norm to him. Klaus had stopped joking when he talked to Finral, he wasn't usually one for comedy in the first place but even he needed levity every now and then. They talked every night, and their conversations, which they had struggled to keep in their 20 minute time limit, were now barely going past 7. Klaus would almost robotically relay basic information about his day and politely ask how Finral's had been, but that was the extent of his words. They were mere pleasantries, not the earnest shots of truth his friend had grown used to.

Klaus wasn't good at lying, at least, not as good as he wished he was. A tiny part of him longed to tell Finral his true thoughts, but it wasn't going to happen. Ever. If he could, would he go back to the day they first met and simply walk away? Never talk to him, never know him, never... care for him? Maybe, but even that seemed too far for Klaus.

His thoughts ran wild as he flipped the case open, undoing the latches with practiced ease. He swiftly maneuvered his frames onto his face and with a gentle push, he was ready to start the rest of his very long day.

The rest of the morning was simple routine, he wore his Golden Dawn uniform with his robes, his usual outfit. He spent some time in his room, studying up on past techniques other steel magic users developed, not that they weren't anything he hadn't read before, but a little review never hurt anything. Once an hour or so had passed, and the sun was now waking up the rest of the base with it's radiant sight, he decided to venture out and find something to eat.

The halls were winding as always, and with the sheer size of the base, there were multiple kitchens and dining areas. Of course, that meant they were informally separated by popularity and/or power. Klaus had eaten with the rest of the intermediate magic knights of the Golden Dawn for a while, but after Yuno and Mimosa joined, he'd once again started gravitating towards the junior knights. Not that there was really anything to miss, he hadn't formed any real attachments.

Given the early hour, he inferred that Yuno and Mimosa were probably getting ready, so he could have a few minutes to himself. The other junior knights, rookies from years past who hadn't quite moved up yet, were lacking in enough determination and skill to participate in the entrance exam, and were most likely in a common area or their rooms. This was the optimal time for one to go to the dining hall.

He took the quick route to his destination, wanting to fill up and simply go to the exam. As he walked with a fast pace, he wondered what he could have, something nutritious and energizing, but not heavy. Perhaps some fruit, or maybe vegetables, he thought. It was only a few minutes until he arrived at the room, the only one there as predicted.

The dining hall was decently sized, at least to Noble standards, and connected to a small kitchen. The larger halls used by the higher ranking knights were staffed but the junior knights rarely had someone to cook, and it was usually a fend for yourself. Klaus usually ended up making most of their meals, Mimosa had no experience making food and Yuno simply refused, so the duty fell to him.

Mimosa usually complained his meals were bland, and Klaus couldn't help but agree. Just because he knew how to make something edible, didn't mean he had much skill in it. But they ate it anyways, tiredly discussing missions or training regimens, a few early mornings they'd even discussed their personal lives. It was mostly Mimosa talking about her brother, or her energetic cousins, and Yuno giving a few words about his family back in Hage. They'd asked Klaus about his relatives and he gave them the usual response of that they were a busy noble family, very proud, honorable and such. He hadn't mentioned anything more than that 

He pinched his arm, and let the pain whisk him out his thoughts. He really couldn't let his mind wander to those memories, he had to focus and he couldn't do that if he was thinking about such foolish things. They don't matter, he reminded himself, you shouldn't care. He hammered those words in his mind again and again, until his whirling thoughts were drowned out by the steady beat of his denial.

He marched himself to the kitchen, his feet in sync with the rhythm in his head, and threw the door open. Seeing the smaller space was empty, he immediately trotted over to the counter. He peeked into the cupboards and was pleased to find some preserved fruit in a jar. It looked like peaches, or maybe apples, but either way, it was edible and perfect for Klaus.

He grabbed it, and a piece of bread that was laid out in a loaf on the island. Fresh food was strategically laid about, but no one was in sight, and that was just how the Golden Dawn kitchens worked. After searching for a minute, he found utensils and a plate. It took only a moment for him to start spreading the gooey mixture of mystery fruit on the bread, and his task was soon completed.

Once he was done, he cleaned up as best he could, screwing the lid back on the jar, putting it away and cleaning the used utensils in the sink. He snatched his plate of hurried food, which looked slightly unappetizing, and sat down at the closest table to the kitchen. He hoped to finish eating before Yuno and Mimosa could come down, and hurry them on so they could finally go to the exam.

They were still a squad even if they were arguing at the moment, and thus were planning to travel together. However, eating with them still seemed... unnecessarily awkward, and frankly he could barely keep himself composed when he was alone, he wanted to minimize social contact as much as possible. Even if he... possibly missed it.

Who was he kidding, he absolutely missed it. It was only a few days, he reasoned to himself, but it was eating at him more than he liked to admit. No matter how many times he told himself that he shouldn't care, he never seemed to listen. He was always a failure to someone, but his subordinates had never purposefully said it to him. Sure they would tease him, and act like teenagers in general, but at least they... were interested in more than what he could do for them. They seemed to enjoy his company, at least slightly.

His stony and cold exterior broke, and he allowed himself to put his head in his hands. His elbows were propped on the table, an absolutely atrocious display of manners, but he couldn't bring himself to care in the slightest. Was he really so weak that he could barely go a few days without openly expressing emotion? Stupid, he told himself, stupid.

"Why am I such a fool?" He said to himself, his words quiet but echoing in the tall room.

He received no answer from the universe, and figured that would be the case. Of he course he was a fool, he managed to ruin almost all of the friendships he had, and the one he didn't... well, if he even began trying to process that he'd lose his mind. Finral was a special case, he very much wanted to continue talking with him, being friends was something he treasured. But his traitorous and stupid heart insisted that he _wanted_ Finral, and not... as a friend.

He was still in the middle of a possible breakdown when he heard footsteps down the hall, a pair of them it sounded like. He hurriedly fixed his posture, putting on his usual cold and serious mask, and took a bite of his untouched food. Just as he suspected, it was bland and clumpy, not that he let it stop him.

The door opened, revealing Yuno and Mimosa, who were traveling as a pair once more. They weren't talking, in fact, Mimosa looked annoyed and angry. Klaus figured it was probably her inability to let go of grudges, and Yuno's general personality combined. He sighed and pushed up his glasses, a small comfort in an unforgiving world.

It took a few moment for his teammates to notice he was already there and started on his breakfast. Mimosa quickly pulled the annoyed look off her face and smiled at Klaus, also giving a small wave in the process. Klaus merely nodded in acknowledgment as a response to her greeting. Yuno barely noticed this and continued walking to the kitchen to find something to eat. Mimosa trailed after him, silent and with a sense of exhaustion.

As soon as the two of them were gone, he let out a sigh and relaxed his shoulders, which had gone stiff through their interaction. He wanted to let out a groan, breakfast would be difficult and he was already having problems trying to stay professional. This day wasn't going to turn out well, he could simply sense it

* * *

As Klaus had predicted, breakfast was silent and tense, but it had been over with quickly enough. As soon as they were finished they all wanted to leave, a silent agreement was issued and all of them were ready to travel to the exam. No personal business would get in the way of his performance, Klaus would make sure of it.

But they were here, finally. There was still plenty of time before the exam would actually start, their group was one of the first to arrive. The other Golden Dawn members had trickled in short after, they were stubborn after all. The Black Bulls hadn't come yet either, Klaus noticed, feeling slight disappointment. Not because of Finral, of course, it was probably just because he couldn't see Asta and tell him about the training he'd been doing. Yeah, he told himself, that's it!

There was conversation floating about in the area, so filled with excitement that people barely cared who was from what squad. Except the Golden Dawn, they were too feared to be considered. Klaus was never really sure if it was a compliment, but he took it as one.

He'd been lazily walking about, but keeping close to Mimosa, when another magic knight had gotten excited and let his magic flare up. Klaus had been ready to ignore it, to log it away in his head as another annoying experience. But Mimosa was different, she was fed up with her ignorant teammate, and frankly, didn't care.

"I beg your pardon, but even that level of power is enough to disturb the people around you, so could you consider calming down a bit?" She said with a pained smile on her face.

The magic knight she was talking to visibly deflated and stopped pumping his mana into the air. "M-my apologies." He replied.

"Mimosa, don't start any trouble before the exam." Klaus said to her, closing the distance between them. As soon as he got closer to her, he quieted his voice a bit, "Pointing out the lower magic level of someone who's your elder... you're being as obliviously rude as ever."

She understood his intent, however, she was not having it today, "And you're so serious, a worrywart, and a Four-Eyes, Klaus." She said the last part with an innocent smile.

"Four-Eyes-" Klaus repeated indignantly, touching his glasses.

Although what else did he really expect, it was obvious she didn't really care. As he was reeling from Mimosa's insult, he heard Yuno arguing with his and spirit, a common occurrence. Luckily Bell didn't like showing herself to Klaus or Mimosa, so she wasn't really around them often. He spotted the other members of the Golden Dawn clustering together, and grew a bit more worried as he spotted Langris.

"Everyone seems quite on edge, don't they?" Mimosa said, snapping Klaus out of his thoughts. "They should all relax a little bit more."

He looked at her with a slightly pained expression, "You're far too relaxed."

"Hey Klaus, Mimosa! Long time no see!" A voice suddenly called from behind them, they turned and saw who it was. Asta.

"A-A-A-Asta!" Mimosa sputtered, leaning back in surprise as her face turned crimson.

Klaus barely registered the reaction and decided to greet the boy, "Have you been well, Asta? I've been working and getting stronger! I won't lose to you." He winced a bit on the inside, it was the most excited Klaus had sounded all day.

He was glad to see Asta's arms no longer in that dreadful condition, he'd heard from Finral that Asta had been healed, but had yet to see it himself. Speaking of Asta, now that he was here, Finral had to be as well. Klaus barely stopped himself from craning his head to look for him.

"Really? I'm getting fired up!" Asta said, excited for his friend.

"Asta! L-l-lets give it our all!" Mimosa squeaked, also trying to get in on the motivation.

As Asta pointed out Mimosa's blushing face, something Klaus felt secondhand embarrassment for, he couldn't stop himself as he looked at faces in the crowd. He convinced himself he wasn't trying to find a familiar mop of messy hair, but it was to no avail. He was still no good at lying, not even to himself.

He could hear the conversation behind him still, although now Yuno and Asta were talking. He couldn't help but notice that Yuno seemed more relaxed, a lot more jovial. He wasn't going to feel hurt he ordered to himself as his mind inevitably brought up Yuno's off-handed words. It's not like he really had a right to be mad anyways, Yuno was right, Klaus wasn't his brother, and not his friend. He was his superior, and that was all.

He got more frustrated as he couldn't find Finral, and his mental state wasn't helped by the group of chaotic children that had suddenly formed behind him. Somehow, Leo had come out of nowhere and was spouting off some nonsense to Yuno and Asta, Mimosa was trying to but in with a question about some sort of hot springs. Klaus resisted the urge to loudly groan and walk away, and merely stood there, absorbing it all.

It wasn't long until the Wizard King called everyone to attention, and Klaus still hadn't seen Finral yet. He could see a mass of Black Bull robes surrounding something, and he figured that's where his friend was. But he couldn't just walk over there, so he resigned himself to find Finral after the Wizard King's speech.

He was surprised to find that the King, Augustus Kira Clover, had taken over. Actually, no, not really. Despite Klaus' noble blood, and him being raised in absolute support of the Clover Kingdom, he had always found their current king... distasteful. He acted more like a spoiled child than a sensible ruler, it was really no wonder the Wizard King had garnered so much respect just from doing his job properly.

But Klaus' ingrained nature kept him from protesting out loud, not to mention that the King would hand out executions on a whim to people he felt insulted him. He let a grimace slide onto his face for a brief moment before composing himself by pushing up his frames. He listened intently once more.

They were explaining the rules of the exam, finally some clarification he thought. They stated that the exam wouldn't be head to head battles, but rather a tournament style with teams. Despite all his preparation, he hadn't actually considered that this would be how they would run the exam. Perhaps they wanted to see teamwork and leadership instead of pure talent, this was to be for a team to take down the Eye of the Midnight Sun after all. He was pleasantly unsurprised when the Wizard King confirmed it, and also thankful that the King had stopped talking.

That settled it, he thought, psyching himself up, he would lead his team to victory. He would win and prove himself, along with bringing the Golden Dawn and his family glory. He couldn't wait to show off his new abilities and skill, he'd worked so hard to get where he was now, and he'd be damned to let it go to waste. And maybe if there was the chance to impress- no. He stopped himself, blocking out that tiny voice ringing in his head.

Now, he thought as he tried to tune back in, if he could just find out who he'd be working with, it would go a lot smoother. They were announcing it anyways, so he tried to find his name. However he was interrupted by a voice from above, and it drew everyone's attention away from the boards.

The figure introduced itself as Xerx Lugner, the Vice-Captain of the Purple Orcas, which seemed doubtful as the man was dressed more suitably for an adult themed party than any sort of leadership position. But, surprisingly, the Wizard King allowed it despite the blatant disrespect that this 'Xerx' fellow had shown him. The Wizard King did always strike Klaus as an odd, but generally nice, person.

Even as 'Xerx' admitted to everyone he didn't respect the Wizard King one iota, the man himself didn't move or have any noticeable reaction. What was he playing at, Klaus wondered. The Wizard King was smart, which people found surprising as he could act like a child on some occasions, all too excited by magic. That had only been proven to Klaus as he had met him in the capital, but even then he had a scheme. Leaving them alone at that ceremony, he figured that was a test of their courage and determination, one that Asta probably passed with flying colors.

Once the situation with 'Xerx', who was on Asta's team -- bless his soul -- was resolved, they were all finally able to focus on finding who'd they'd be working with. He looked through the list while Asta and 'Xerx' were fighting with... insects? He didn't have the patience to deal with that so he ignored it, his eyes flipped through names, trying to find his own.

He found Finral's, he was on a team with Leo and Hamòn, a solid line up, but it might be hard to have them work together. He still hadn't seen his friend, but pushed that from his mind as he finally laid his eyes on the familiar scribble that was his name. He read a bit further and found that he was paired with... Puli Angel and... Luck Voltia. Oh no.

He was silently screaming in his head as the groups gravitated towards their assigned members, a solemn air to his trudging steps. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Finral's group members, and perked up a little more. He was in the middle of trying to spot his friend when he noticed he was next to Luck.

He groaned to himself about having to fight with such a self centered and reckless individual, this would be difficult to work with. He hadn't even considered the other person who was standing next to him, but he could figure that out later. For now, he had to find a way to deal with Luck... ugh, he still couldn't believe he was on the same team as him.

"Pleased to meet ya!" Luck said, his hand stuck out to Klaus, "Let's work together and do our best!"

"Huh? Work together?" Klaus repeated softly. 

Klaus, a little wary but pleasantly surprised, considered his offer. For one, they'd already met in the dungeon, but if Luck didn't remember him that wasn't so bad. It's not every day you get a second chance to make a first impression, and now he wanted to present a better version of himself. Especially since Luck was a Black Bull. With determination, he met Luck's hand with his own.

"Sure." He said, glad to see his teammate was on the same page as him.

Of course, it wasn't even a second later when electricity was suddenly sent through him. It didn't exactly hurt, but it was still lightning. He jumped back, completely ignoring that he was supposed to have cool, calm and collected persona today. He could feel his face twist with unexpected shock, and surprise, warping his expression to something unusual.

"We're gonna be great teammates!" Luck said, laughing at the man he'd just tormented.

Klaus forced his body to stop it's automatic response to being electrocuted, and brought his hand to his face in a disgruntled gesture of pushing up his glasses. This was not going to go well, he thought, he still felt his muscles spasming. Where the hell was Finral, maybe if he asked him how to work with Luck, this day would go much better. He was searching out of the corner of his eye, when he spotted a third person with Hamòn and Leo, so that must be-

The sight startled him enough to freeze, and turn his head for a full view. Luck noticed, but knew enough to not say anything, he'd already asserted his dominance anyhow. Klaus' face was frozen with a look of perplexion and confusion. That was Finral, he told himself, but that hair...

"What is that... monstrosity?" Klaus muttered to himself, unable to stop the words from spilling from his mouth.

Within a few moments, he had stepped away from his group, excusing himself as he bumped into people on his path to see Finral. He felt like a moth being drawn to light in a tunnel that had known nothing but the bleak existence of the void since it's creation, which was just an overdramatic way of saying he was completely focused on the person he saw.

Finral was distancing himself from his group, his hands put up in front of himself in a cringing position. In only a few moments, Klaus' hand was extended and tugging on Finral's sleeve, his body moving before the logical part of his mind could catch up. Finral tensed at the pulling and turned around, expecting something other than his friend with a very concerned, and questioning, look on his face.

"K-Klaus?" Finral said, surprise covering his face.

"Finral," Klaus said, his hand still holding onto the middle of Finral's sleeve, "what is.... what did you do to your hair?" He finally said, intensely whispering the last part.

"Oh, I, uh, needed something to pump myself up before the exam, and so... yeah. Vanessa did it for me yesterday, after we talked, so I guess you haven't seen it yet. Do you- do you not like it?" Finral said, an irrational streak of worry in his voice.

"Well, I..." Klaus said, acutely aware of his face turning crimson. Truthfully, he thought it was the most gaudy, unnecessary and entirely extra hairstyle he'd seen in his life, and he'd seen a lot of them. "I think it looks good, Vanessa did a wonderful job." He lied through his teeth, a slightly pained smile on his face.

"Really? Well that's a relief." Finral muttered, dropping his head down for a moment, he looked up and smiled at him, a genuine and happy smile. "Thanks, I'm glad you like it."

Klaus' heart immediately went insane, beating to an irrational and erratic symphony of pure emotional chaos, and brought the rest of him along with it. His mind immediately shorted out, like a computer that had landed in water and was now sending sparks of light through his thoughts. He was frozen, still holding onto Finral's sleeve, when the Wizard King announced that they would be heading over the arena.

"H-Hey, Klaus? Are you alright?" Finral said, reaching for Klaus' hand, the one that was gripped tight on his sleeve.

Klaus immediately jumped back from the touch, too freaked out to worry about looking odd. Somehow, his face got even redder than before, a feat he would've considered impossible except he was experiencing it. His face was frozen with a mixture of surprise, embarrassment and shock, and his hands were defensively placed in front of him.

"A-ah, y-yes, I'm perfectly fine!" He said, laughing forcefully.

"Are you sure?" Finral asked, his face telling Klaus he didn't believe him one bit.

"Y-yeah! Anywho, I should be going, I-I need to be with my team!" Klaus called to him, walking away at a fast pace.

Another spatial magic user, Cob was his name, had opened a portal for everyone to walk through. Klaus gladly took the opportunity to calm down, and hustled his way through. So much for a rational and cold persona, Klaus thought to himself, trying to calm his racing heart.

But after he as spit out on the tournament stage, his feelings were the last thing on his mind. It was huge, it must've taken a tremendous amount of magic power to construct something so large and detailed. He was amazed by it, and he could tell everyone slse around him was as well. The view was also... beautiful.

He didn't have much time to admire it, the Wizard King was ready speaking, they really weren't wasting time when it came to this tournament thing. Within moments, the Wizard King was revealing the brackets, this was who'd they'd be fighting...

Within a moment, he found his. The matchup seemed like no big deal, except for Rob Vitesse, his precise and powerful magic would be hard to beat. As his eyes lazily scanned over the rest of the matchup, he saw that Asta and Mimosa were first, he'd have to cheer them on. For the honor of the Golden Dawn of course...

_You know, you could just tell them you care_, a very familiar voice said in his mind, _not everything has to be for the pride of the Golden Dawn_. Finral hadn't known what he was talking about when he said that, he reminded himself, Finral was a commoner after all, they had very different childhoods. Even if... Finral did seem to understand, and even if his words stuck in his head, only Klaus himself could decide what he could do.

Speaking of Finral, he noticed his friend seemed nervous, he was staring at the roster, frozen in place. Klaus followed his vision up and found what must've been bothering him, if he won the first round -- and of course he would, Finral was amazing after all -- he'd have to face Langris' team. He winced for him, Langris would be a tough competitor to win against, but he'd cheer Finral on, even if only on the inside.

As he was thinking this, he noticed that Finral had finally taken his eyes off the board, and was walking away. Klaus was confused for a second before noticing that he was walking towards the Black Bulls, who had shown up to support their team members. He pushed up his glasses with a small, hidden smile as Finral jogged up to Vanessa, who didn't look too inebriated.

Vanessa was a good person, he had surmised, Finral constantly sung her praises, and despite Klaus'... alcoholic incident at Asta's party, he had come to find that she was kind, in her own way. He couldn't say he hadn't felt some form of jealousy towards their bond, but he knew it was irrational. He respected Finral, and he respected Vanessa, and what they decided to do was their own right. And they'd known each other longer anyways, and he also had to acknowledge that.

The Black Bulls were a difficult, but supportive squad he had discovered. The Golden Dawn had prestige, it had honor, but it also had some of the worst damn people you could ever meet in one lifetime. The Black Bulls were a group of unruly, almost unrespectable hooligans who were known for their chaos and collateral damage. But they had heart, they cared more about their mission and the people they protected because they had no need for honor or prestige, for the stuck up attitudes that were common for Clover Kingdom nobles. Klaus had once wondered what it would be like to join them, to work with the Black Bulls, and had immediately decided it would never happen. As much as he respected and cared for them, it would be a constant nightmare.

The sound of Asta's loud voice brought him up from his deep well of thought, apparently it was time for the tournament to start. Klaus shook his daze off and prepared to cheer on Asta and Mimosa, they had both worked hard to come this far, and that itself was worthy enough for praise.

He watched as they began, it looked like there was some infighting on the team, that was concerning. Soon that Xerx guy fell asleep, almost predictable thought Klaus, he shook it off and continued watching Asta and Mimosa as they soon got attacks from the enemy team. From what Klaus could see, it was a combo spell doing the trick, the opposing team's magic worked well together like that, very useful indeed. Perhaps when it came to their own fight, they'd have to use that card as well.

He could see deliberation among Asta and Mimosa, before they both set off, leaving their sleeping teammate behind. Klaus was curious about their gameplan, but knowing Mimosa's capabilities, they'd be just fine.

"Do your best out there, Mimosa, Asta." He said quietly, hoping they would be able to win despite the disadvantage they were at.

He could feel Yuno stare at him, apparently the only one near him who had paid enough attention to hear. Klaus purposely ignored it, he could deal with Yuno later, right now, he focused on supporting Mimosa and Asta.

He continued watching as Mimosa and Asta continued their brave retaliation, and as Mimosa showed off her skills, he expressed his admiration for her. He truly was proud to be her senior, to see her grow from a stumbling rookie to someone so confident was an honour. He was so proud of her, and not just because she brought honor for the Golden Dawn, he also... cared about her. There, he said to himself, you admitted that you cared for another person, happy now?

And he found he was. He also continued to find that emotion as he watched Asta and Mimosa hold their ground, it looked like they were turning the tide of the fight. Until one second, when Asta stepped into what seemed like a trap, but none of the opposing team seemed to be using trap magic. Klaus continued watching in concern, he was sure it was the end for them. It was three attacks in the three directions, and Mimosa wouldn't be able to take care of all of them. But his expectations were shattered, as they often were, and he saw that the attack had been reversed with another trap spell.

"What just happened?" Slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

He received no verbal answer so he continued watching, and saw that Xerx had woken up, and was now walking the battle field. Klaus figured that he was the cause of this, he must have trap spells, and he set them before the tournament. It made sense, and it explained the situation and Xerx's behavior.

He felt extreme distaste for him, his blatant disrespect of the Wizard King and the way he was currently taunting his enemies in battle, left a bad taste in his mouth. He saw with growing dislike as Xerx destroyed the other teams crystal without mercy, while belittling the amazing efforts the opposing team had out in. Frankly, Xerx was acting just like any other arrogant and uncaring knight, but there was something under it, he was doing it out of genuine anger rather than pettiness.

Still, despite how interesting Xerx was, Klaus could see he had pissed Asta off. He watched as the shorter knight yelled at Xerx, presumably chastising his behavior. There was a small discussion as Asta was once again assaulted with stink bugs, and Mimosa fretted over him. Klaus sighed, they really never changed, did they? He was about to go and find Finral, just to have some good conversation, when he spotted Kirsch Vermillion on the playing field.

Klaus had nothing complimentary to say about Kirsch Vermillion's personality, so he usually kept his mouth shut. He respected the man for his power, and the way he was able to run the Coral Peacocks, but every other part of him was so sickeningly narcissistic that it almost ruined any sort of civility Klaus had whenever he had to talk about him. Mimosa didn't even try to hide her blatant disgust with her brother, not that Klaus really blamed her.

He watched as they talked on the battle field, Mimosa's discomfort was obvious, even from so far away. He was able to see that Kirsch was sparkling, he wasn't really sure how, it just kinda happened whenever Kirsch was around, and that it had drew enough attention for Yuno to comment on it.

Klaus was brought out of his thoughts by Noelle telling Yuno who Kirsch was, which seemed odd to Klaus as Mimosa had mentioned her egocentric brother to them before. Perhaps Yuno had forgotten. Klaus had no time to think about it though, as he had to be the responsible one and tell Noelle to not sell Kirsch short.

"How could you say something like that, he's the Vice Captain of the Coral Peacocks!" Klaus chastised, he felt like a bit of hypocrite given his own feelings, but respect was something that had to be taught, and maybe if he said it enough, he'd believe it himself, "Don't sell him short, despite how he looks, in place of their captain who's always asleep, Dorothy Unsworth, I hear he does almost all of the squad's practical magic!"

"'Despite how he looks,'" Bell parroted, not even looking at Klaus, "So you think he's weird too, Four-Eyes."

"Four-Eyes sure does." Noelle added, not even looking away from the arena.

"Four-Eyes definitely does." Yuno supplied, surprising Klaus a bit.

"I do not!" Klaus lied, before deciding to relent, "Well, maybe a little bit."

He had learned to stop protesting being called 'Four-Eyes', and to just accept it. It was just how they showed their respect, he reasoned to himself, although when he explained that to Finral, the man had laughed in his face and told him that he was wrong. That was how they related to him, Finral had said, a whispy chuckle still in his voice, kids would often tease those older than them that they cared about, it was what siblings often did. After that, Finral had gone silent for a moment before picking back up with a more muted enthusiasm, and told Klaus it was Yuno and Mimosa's way of showing affection.

Maybe this was Yuno's way of silently apologizing, he wondered, looking at the boy out of the corner of his eye. Yuno had been ignoring him, not even acknowledging him with a scathing retort when he spoke to Yuno and Mimosa over the last few days. Maybe going back to their old dynamic was Yuno's attempt to say sorry, or he was just reading too much into it.

He shook his head and told himself to focus on the match that had already started, he noticed a Black Bull was on the team. After seeing he had fire magic, and that he swung it like a bat and a ball, Klaus reasoned that it must have been Magna. Finral spoke of his teammate, often in relation to Luck, with great excitement. He often told Klaus about how hard Magna trained and how hard he worked, that he had come so far from his original starting point. Now that he could see the man's power for himself, he had to agree with Finral, it was kind of impressive.

Of course, his strategy and battle prowess could be improved upon, Klaus noted, looking at how Magna recklessly ran into a fight with no substantial plan. He was sure the Black Bull would be outclassed when Kirsch miraculously stepped in, and with a few moments of discussion, Magna changed his strategy and easily defeated the opponent in front of him. Kirsch could be a leader when he wanted to, Klaus thought to himself, if only he wasn't so egotistical.

He was shown more of the leadership skills Kirsch had developed when he also corrected Sol's way of fighting, and showed her a way out of the tricky situation she was in. In a few moments, she too had defeated her enemy, and the rest was up to Kirsch. Klaus watched with apprehension as the last of the opposing team tried to attack the supposedly unguarded crystal, and was shocked when Kirsch revealed his magic. The entire arena was suddenly floaded with petals, they even reached the observation area.

"The whole area's covered in a storm of petals." Klaus muttered, shocked at the pure amount of mana it would take for such a large spell.

His vision, although a little blocked by the fluttering wisps of Kirsch's magic, was able to see the team advancing to the crystal. And with a tremendous show of teamwork and skill, they had crushed it with ease, showcasing their victory in a beautiful manner. It seemed both Magna and Sol had been infected with his obsession with beauty...

He noticed Asta and Mimosa out of the corner of his eye, both seemed to be worried and creeped out by Kirsch, not at all surprising. In a minute, Kirsch and his team were back up on the observation pad, with both Sol and Magna embarassed over their leader once more. Klaus was still trying to process the match, it seemed effortless, but so much planning had actually gone into it.

"That spell... First, he produced various clones to confuse the enemy, then he covered the battlefield in a storm of magic petals, making it hard to see or detect magic. Meanwhile, it created a safe route to the enemy crystal for his teammates. The only way that's possible is because being royalty gives you a monstrous amount of magic! The man closest to becoming the next captain of the Coral Peacocks, Kirsch Vermillion. Quite impressive." Klaus said, a note of admiration in his voice. He looked at the posing man once more before tacking on, "But he's still a weirdo."

He wasn't really sure who he was summing up the match for, but he did it anyways, hoping someone would appreciate it. He noticed that Kirsch and Asta were arguing over something that clearly went over Asta's head, not very difficult given his short stature. He looked at the board and noticed Finral's team was up next, now he really had to pay attention. He simply couldn't wait to his friend in action, he was sure he'd be able to win this with no problem at all.

Finral's team took the field, and seemed to be discussing strategy, Klaus noticed. Both Leopold and Hamòn seemed to be ignoring their other member, who looked nervous, but he was still coming up with a strategy. Klaus noticed with pride that Finral had interrupted his energetic teammates, and seemed to be coming up with a suitable battle plan. Amazing, thought Klaus, he's truly a fantastic leader!

Yuno, who had found his way near Klaus after going to make fun of Asta with Kirsch, noticed the little smile that had crept it's way onto Klaus' face. Yuno looked down at the field to notice what his senior was staring at and saw it was Finral, his face twisted with annoyance and he turned to say something to Klaus.

"What's with that face? You look like Mimosa." Yuno muttered quietly, barley loud enough for Klaus to hear.

Klaus stiffened, and quickly pulled himself together, taking off the blatant admiration that had coated his stare. Yuno was right, his body language probably told everyone who saw how he actually felt. And if people found out... no. That was a consequence he had truly been pushing from his mind, he knew that if he told someone he felt this way, there was a chance they'd report it. And if they reported it, he... he'd be kicked out of the magic knights, maybe even arrested! And then because Finral was the center of it, he might have to face the same consequences as well. But Yuno seemed to have figured it out, he noticed as his stomach dropped. But he... hadn't done anything about it other than warn Klaus he was too obvious.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Noelle flick Yuno's arm and mutter "Seriously?"

Had she figured it out as well? He frantically wondered, how obvious had he been? As he had a miniature breakdown in his head, the battle raged on down below. A sudden flash of Finral's magic was seen, and yanked him out of his crisis.

It seemed like Finral had come up with the plan, he had used his magic to transport his teammates across the field, where their magic would be the most impactful. He continued watching as they flitted around, causing the opposing team to fire in each other. A smart strategy, Klaus remarked silently. And within a short while, the match was set. Using Leopold's power and Finral's strategic skills, they were quickly able to destroy the crystal and win the match.

Klaus kept his body from cheering, and pushed up his glasses to keep himself grounded. Although this win was fantastic for Finral, this meant he most likely had to face Langris in the next match. As much faith as Klaus had in his friend, Langris would be a ruthless opponent.

Speaking of his Vice Captain, Langris' team was next. They were on the battle field, prepared to fight. Except one of them seemed to be... scared, who was that again, Klaus wondered. His question was soon answered as the boy shouted his name into the sky as part of his spell. Sekke, it was.

Klaus paid a little less attention to this match as he had the others, it was obvious Langris would win. And as he thought, that was how the match ended. Langris flew on that Sekke's shooting star spell and easily destroyed the crystal with a smirk on his face. No one was truly surprised, the Hause of Vaude was one of the most powerful noble families after all.

But his interest was grabbed as Langris re-enrered the observation deck, ignoring his teammate that had fallen from his own transportation spell. Langris had continued marching up to Finral, a smug look on his face. Perhaps he meant to intimidate his opponent, but that didn't quite fit with his personality, he wouldn't care about something like that unless there was something personal about it.

Langris drew closer to Finral, and the pressure dropped, the change in the atmosphere drew everyone's attention to them. Almost everyone was listening in, eager to hear about what was making the Vice Captain of the Golden Dawn confront someone like this. Langris opened his mouth, prepared to air their grievances in front of all these magic knights.

"In the end, you'll never be more than a means of transportation, Brother. In the upcoming match, be careful not to get in the way of my spatial magic, okay? I can't guarantee you won't lose something." Langris coldly stated.

'Brother'? Klaus thought, no, he must've heard it wrong, because that didn't make sense. He knew Finral and something of that magnitude would've been revealed by now. Besides, Finral was a commoner, and what reason would Langris have for threatening a member of his own family? Not that Finral was part of the House of Vaude, because no, that'd just be insane!

"If that were to happen," his Vice Captain continued, "Mother and Father aside, I'm sure that _she_ would be sad."

"You're right." Finral replied, shocking Klaus, "So to ensure that doesn't happen, I'm going to win!"

"How insolent of you, Brother." Langris replied. A dangerous look in his eye.

Finral hadn't denied it, Klaus thought, Langris said Mother and Father like they'd been raised together and _Finral hadn't denied it_. Finral couldn't be- there was no way he... he wouldn't lie to Klaus, right? He couldn't be Langris' brother, Langris was horrible, ruthless and cutthroat and Finral was... well, he was Finral! He was amazing, caring, kind, all things that had endeared him to Klaus.

So there was no way he was related to Langris, there was no way Finral was... a noble. He couldn't be, because... because... Finral was one of the few things about the magic knights that Klaus genuinely found joy in. But the noble world, something Klaus was supposed to take pride in, did nothing but make him miserable.

Finral wasn't supposed to be a part of _that_ world, and he didn't act like it either. Finral didn't even have the last name of 'Vaude', so why was Langris referring to him as 'Brother'? Even as his mind brought up vague memories from his childhood, about how the oldest son of the House of Vaude was a failure, how he'd changed his name, how be hadn't brought _honour_ to his family.

But he knew it was true, deep down, Finral was Langris' brother, and he couldn't handle that. He stared at Finral, an emotional storm brewing in his head. He wanted him to turn around, to explain things to Klaus. But he didn't. He just kept looking at Langris, his hands balled into fists, ready to fight. Whatever, you shouldn't care, Klaus told himself, a dark look on his face. He turned away from the pair, and simply stated at the arena, refusing to acknowledge his surroundings.

Yuno noticed and took a step towards his senior, his foot stopped and he hesitated to take another. Bell was on his shoulder, silent for once. He could just ignore him, Yuno thought, it wasn't his business anyways. But after one thought back to the dungeon, to Klaus' acceptance of him, and his determination set in.

He walked over to him, stood next to him, and taking notice of Klaus' stony expression, he placed his hand on his shoulder. Klaus didn't react, his eyes flitted over to Yuno for a brief moment, and his expression shifted but he didn't move. It lasted a minute, and although a tad awkward, Yuno didn't regret it.

"Thanks... Yuno." Klaus said, his voice soft.

People were starting to have their attention drawn back around them, the tournament continuing and the next round having been announced. Klaus shifted his weight to his other foot, and looked down.

"Yeah, sure." Yuno replied, taking his hand off of Klaus.

They stood there, a silent apology having been issued, and it was a brief moment, an inconsequential moment to anyone but them. But it was there, a bond. Yuno might deny caring for anyone but Asta, but even he had to have some sense sometimes.

Klaus stared at the horizon, a bright blue day despite the tense air. He shouldn't be upset, he reasoned, Finral's business was his own. And he hadn't really lied to him, he just never told him he was related to the Vice Captain of the Golden Dawn, someone who went out of their way to torment people, even his own squadmates. But he was, and it hurt.

The next round was having some trouble starting, something about a missing teammate. But Klaus couldn't bring himself to care, he just kept replaying Langris' words over and over. He remembered when Langris had threatened Yuno, how freaked out Finral had been, Klaus assumed it had just been nerves but... nkw it made much more sense. How could he not have seen it? How much of a fool was he?

He watched as Finral went over to stand with the Black Bulls, still turned away from Klaus. How could he not have told him, did he not trust him? Were they not friends, close friends? He just wanted to know why, how could he have not noticed, how could he have not known? The signs were there the whole time, Finral's reaction to being called a commoner at their first meeting, Finral's inexplicable ability to connect with Klaus' problems with his own family. He was stupid, so utterly stupid.

He watched the round start, with Rill Boismortier joining in. A captain being in the tournament should've been a huge shock to him, but all he could think about was the events of five minutes ago. What was he doing, letting someone else get him down like this? And a disgraced noble of all people, something he was taught was lower than a peasant. What a fool he was, yes, what a fool indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read the comments, and you all are so fucking valid, all of you. Did I have any right making it as angsty as I did? No, but y'all saw the tags, you knew what you were getting into. Did I probably make some of them OOC? Most definitely, and that's on me.
> 
> Also Liz, Ellie, if either of you are reading this I'm coming for your fucking knee caps, prepare to be beat.


	3. Epiphanies of a Broken Shield

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. LOVE. Y'ALLS. COMMENTS. They are all amazing and I love them! Also, have this chapter, I really hate summarizing episodes. Because I gotta go back and rewatch them like 200 times to get them right, and be like, _what is Klaus, who is the de facto narrator, doing in this scene?_ and I'd rather not but I do what I do, and what I do is this.

Klaus was still in shock, barely able to keep his eyes on the events in front of him. The surprise of Rill Boismortier joining the exam, an actual captain, hadn't affected him nearly as much as the revelation that Langris was Finral's brother had. Not even as Rill, again a _captain_, spoke to Asta on such friendly terms. Klaus threw in his meager surprise to play along with the situation but his heart wasn't in it.

Although he was amused by Rill's butler, Walter, doting on Asta, a pang of hurt still rung clear in his mind. But truly, Asta not being able to understand 'fancy' tea was something only Asta could get away with. He watched, a little detached from the real world, as Rill and his team jumped in the ring, preparing to fight.

Of course, with how distractable Rill seemed, it wasn't really surprising that he almost immediately fell into an enemy trap. He had spent the beginning of the match, generally the planning period, looking at the sky with childish awe. His teammates also seemed more like disgruntled baby sitters than battle hardened knights.

"He's a captain... right?" Klaus muttered, finding himself genuinely in awe of how someone with no common sense could be a captain of a squad.

No one seemed to disagree with the meaning behind his statement, in fact, they all seemed to support it. Especially as the opposing team got their wits together and launched two attacks at the restrained captain. Rill seemed surprised, but not at his loss, but at their magic. He had a spark in his eye, a dangerous glimmer of unbridled obsession and passion.

He certainly knew someone like that, Klaus thought as he remembered the dungeon and Luck's almost blind rampaging. Hopefully he'd be able to reign him in enough to work as a semi-coheisve team. Maybe.

Of course, Rill was a captain for a reason, and in a blink of an eye, he was already counterattacking. With his picture magic, he was able to recreate the magical attributes his enemy was weakest against and take them out in a blinding display of power. Klaus had to admit, he was surprised by just how strong the young captain was.

As soon as Rill had taken out most of the enemy team, the other members had finally stepped in and started to support him. Within a few seconds, the enemy crystal was destroyed and the winning team announced. No one was really surprised, they figured a captain would be tough to take down.

As soon as the match was closed, and most of the people had cleared the field -- except Rill, who was still distracted by the chaos he'd caused -- they announced the next match. This time, it was Klaus' job to show off his improvement.

"It's our turn." He said, pushing up his glasses.

He couldn't say he was really in the best condition to fight, a mountain of questions and emotions were slowly building inside of him, but it's not like he really had a choice. He was a magic knight, and sometimes a magic knight's duty included ignoring your emotions to do the job. Not that it stopped anyone from mixing personal grudges with business, he bitterly thought to himself as the events of earlier once again played in his head.

He looked next to him for a brief moment and saw Luck, brimming with a primal urge to fight. It would've been funny had the look in his eye not been so... murderous. Some commotion on the field had caught his eye, Rill was being forcefully removed by his exasperated teammates. Klaus sighed, a lot of the people here were powerful but they had... issues, to say the least.

He shook it off, this was no time to be worrying about that, he hadn't even shown his strength yet. He turned to his teammate, who was currently being pumped up by Asta and Noelle. He gave himself a second, to gather himself and calm his mind. He could do this, he could win, he _would_ do it.

"Luck Voltia," Klaus said, hardness evident in his voice, "this is a match to decide who will be among the Royal Knights, you need to take this seriously. I'm the leader, make sure you don't go running off on your own."

"Aww, don't be so serious!" Luck pouted, "Let's have some fun!"

"Oh, shut up!" Klaus snapped. So much for a calm demeanor, he thought.

As he started to both yell at and lecture his teammate, he noticed someone staring at him out of the corner of his eye. He didn't give much thought, as he was currently busy trying to teach Luck a lesson.

"Welp, there's no point in worrying about it. Let's give it our all!" A voice suddenly chirped in.

Klaus turned to see an unfamiliar knight, she wore a Blue Rose uniform and seemed awfully chipper for working with people she'd never met before. He didn't know her magic, or her personality. This unknown variable, combined with Luck's spontaneity might pose a possible problem.

"What?" Was all he had to offer in response while he was still processing.

"Who the heck are you?" Luck asked, curiosity filling every nerve in his body.

"I'm your teammate! I'm Puli. Puli Angel. As my name and appearance suggest, I'm an angel!" She exclaimed, raising her hands in an eccentric manner.

"Oh, I see. Nice to meet you." Luck blankly stated, her answer not intriguing enough to continue.

"Let's hit 'em with our best performances!" She cheered, ready for action.

"Yeah!" Luck responded, pumped up and ready to go.

Klaus was logging the interaction away, trying to come up with a way to deal with her. What's with her chipper attitude, he grumbled to himself. This combined with Luck's own mindset would be... not fun in the slightest.

"I have to remain the responsible one." He told himself, trying to keep calm.

"You've got this, Klaus!" Asta's voice cheered, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Please do your best, I know you can do it if you try." Mimosa said with an encouraging smile.

"I won't consider you my senior if you lose." Yuno blankly stated, staring Klaus dead in the eyes.

Klaus took it in a good way, Yuno had a unique way of interacting with people, and not directly stating encouragement was part of it. Yuno wasn't one to openly discuss his feelings, and even his apologies were more about actions than words. Yuno was blunt and completely serious in what he said, but what was unspoken was just as important.

"Insolent as ever." Klaus muttered with tired exasperation, "Just sit back and watch my battle."

"Hey, let's come up with a plan." Luck said, drawing Klaus' attention back to his own team.

"Indeed." He responded, his mind sorting through all the facts, "The one we have to watch out for most in this match is their wind magic user, who's said to be the most mobile member of his squad. A 2nd Class Senior Magic Knight from the Silver Eagles, Rob Vitesse."

They quickly finished their planning as they were called to the stage, it was already time for their match. As he got in place, bringing up his mana for a spell, Klaus spied Finral outout of the corner of his eye. He was looking at Klaus with a smile, with encouragement it seemed like. Klaus swiftly turned his eyes away, he wouldn't let himself be distracted, not like this.

Of course, it had to be at the time the match was called to start, and as soon as his thoughts were all jumbled, he had to start preparing for an intense battle. Images in his mind floated about as he called upon the mana within him to concentrate at his finger tips. The plan they had decided on was going to the center of the arena, and duking it out in a test of brute force. Klaus was looking forward to it, finally, an outlet for these volatile and foolish things building in him.

He swiftly advanced to the center, scaling over built in rock faces and sliding across large grassy areas with practiced ease. All that training on his own had paid off, he'd grown faster and stronger, he was even developing the beginnings of a muscular frame. But still, despite the physical advancements he had made, he was struggling to keep up with Luck and Puli, both of their magic was built for speed.

As they drew closer, he took a flying leap off of a piece of raised ground, and landed with his knees bent and his first opponent in front of him. Within a few moments he fired off one of his traditional attack spells, Fierce Spiral Lance. It was a basic spell, almost any Steel Magic user had something like it, so it was weak and easy to defend against. He made himself bait, drawing his opponent to defend against the meager attack and fire back, unknowingly trapping themselves.

As they fired back a mildly powerful attack spell, Klaus prepared himself, he calmed his mind, trying to ignore the man that was on his thoughts and currently watching the match. No, he thought, he'd do this for himself, he didn't have to show off for anyone. He got stronger on his own, and his efforts didn't need to be belittled in order to appease some fluttering feeling in his stomach.

He watched his opponent with growing nervousness and determination, and at the last second, when he could feel the mana of the attack almost touch his face, he called upon his own power to defend him.

"Steel Creation Magic; Full Metal Fortress!" He yelled, errecting a strong steel barrier protecting him from the attack.

And just as he had predicted, his enemy used the clearing smoke to hide as they went around his defenses, prepared to attack Klaus. But that was what he had his team for, and in a mere second, a familiar crackle of almost uncontrollable magic power had socked his opponent in the face. Luck had been biding his time, a task very difficult given his personality, and had waited for his teammate to draw in one of the opposing team to take down.

It was a risky move, Klaus had been hesitant to let himself be saved by Luck, but the circumstances had called for it. Besides, as much as he was loathe to admit it, Luck's magic was better suited for taking down his opponents faster than Klaus' was. As he thought of this, he watched as Luck's spell changed shape, proving that he had been training as hard as Finral said he had.

At the thought of him, Klaus blanched, freezing up for a second before forcing himself to move past it. Now was not the time for this, he could deal with this after the tournament was over, he would talk to Finral afterwards. His thoughts were drowned out by Luck's sudden second attack on their opponent, he'd called out 'Thunderbolt Destruction' and was now hell bent on causing as much damage as possible.

Even in the dungeon, despite his rank, Luck did have intermediate magic knight skills, Klaus mused. But with the training Luck had been doing, it was obvious he'd exceeded his past self in power and precision. Not that Klaus was any slouch himself, this just meant he and Luck would probably be able to take these lower level opponents out faster.

As another opponent entered the match, Klaus was the one who took him on. He thought back to the training he did, to how much work he'd put in to improving his strength and himself. He refused to lose, he wouldn't! My hard work may betray me, he thought, powering up his new attack spell, _but I will not betray my hard work!_

"Steel Creation Magic," he shouted, putting almost everything he had into this attack, "Blazing Spiral Lance!"

With a quick moment of satisfaction, his opponent was quickly defeated by the sudden display of intense brute force. It wasn't his typical way of accomplishing things, but it had felt... almost good. It was cathartic, not caring strategy for a brief moment, letting his power do the talking for him. Was this why Luck never listened? Perhaps there was more to the man that he hadn't considered.

He heard his comrades cheering from the side lines, although one voice in particular was missing. He tried not to let it distract him, and instead chose to focus on everyone else who was supporting him. With Asta, Mimosa and Yuno's encouragement, he could win this!

"Nice!" Luck called out as he landed next to Klaus, his magic sparking and lighting up the air, "After this match is over, you should fight me!"

"Don't be stupid!" Klaus shot back, "Focus on the match!"

His chastising was cut short by a sudden gust of wind, it swirled with so much mana that Klaus wasn't entirely surprised to see it was Rob Vitesse. He was the one to be worried about, but they had a plan in place. All they needed was the final piece, their teammate who should be here at any moment...

"Here he comes... Rob Vitesse." Klaus repeated to Luck, hoping to hammer down the plan one more time, "He's left the crystal behind him. We'll bust through our three opponents and destroy the crystal in a single rush!"

"You got it!" Luck chirped, seemingly happy to follow orders.

"You know... you two are pretty good." The already familiar voice of their teammate called out from behind them.

They felt the wind behind them shift as she apparently swooped down as they had planned and presumably picked up the crystal. Klaus thought the plan relied too heavily on blind trust, but so far, it had worked. And with relief, he heard Puli start calling out the last phase of their plan. As the enemy was distracted by her eccentric manner, Klaus started putting up his barrier, Luck jumped on it, prepared to be launched forward.

"Wing Magic," Puli called out, her brash voice echoing across the field, "Angel Flapping!"

The area was soon awash with magic made feathers, blinding and distracting the enemy while swirling violently about. Such sudden motion turned the area into a chaotic mix of winds for the enemy, but it was perfect for them. Klaus waited until the perfect moment and, with a forceful manner, slammed his barrier down, launching his teammate towards the enemy crystal at a stunning speed.

"Go, Luck!" He shouted as his teammate flew, he could tell that Luck was already gathering mana for a powerful strike, "All right! Break through!"

He watched with increasing intensity as Luck flew towards their enemy at breakneck speeds, there was possibility that this wouldn't work. He knew it was risky, this plan hinged on Luck getting enough speed to bust through the crystal and it's defender in one fell swoop, and if that didn't happen, they'd have wasted their most valuable piece. If this didn't work, they'd be quickly outmatched in terms of experience and power.

Klaus' nerves only grew increasingly more fragile as Vitesse didn't even show signs that he'd been slowed down by Puli's attack, as she so boldly commented on. Come on, Luck, he thought as his face grew tight with worry, you can do it!

As soon as the thought had been processed, Luck's foot had connected with Rob Vitesse, and was knocking him back with tremendous speed and power into his own crystal. Klaus dared not even hope, for if he did and his hopes were dashed, he wasn't sure he'd be able to overcome it. But that didn't even need to be considered as cracks started spreading and lining their away around the crystal, soon those lines turned into shards as it split apart.

The crystal shattered with an unexpected boom of mana, and the underdogs had won the fight. Luck stood triumphantly over the Senior Knight, and with a smile, expressed his desire to fight more. Klaus could barely hear him over the voice announcing their victory, his ears still ringing with adrenaline and power. He and Puli started rushing over to the teammate, overcome with happiness and a shared sense of victory.

"Luck, y-you actually..." Klaus said, trailing off to not even dare jinx their sudden victory.

"Boom, boom! You two are awesome!" Puli cheered, her arms raised high above her head.

Soon they descended on Luck, drawing him into their team high-five. He cheered in response, seemingly having no objections to the display of childish enthusiasm. Klaus had to admit, this feeling of pure joy, of comraderie, was entirely invigorating. Was this what it was like to fight together and not worry about teammates stabbing you in the back, to not have to micromanage every second as rebellious children defied your every order?

After a few seconds they broke formation, pulling apart in different levels of embarrassment and shame. Klaus could feel judgement coming from his fellow Golden Dawn members, they always disliked any warm interactions with other squads, they enjoyed the cold and fearful reputation they had. He pushed up his glasses up as his heartbeat few faster and raised in his throat, he might be chewed out later, his actions might even call for a one on one meeting with Alecdora or... Langris.

As his mind fretted, spiraling downwards in a dark path of existential terror and dread, Luck looked at their next opponent with excitement. He expressed his energy in his usual terrifyingly happy smile, and that alone was enough to draw Klaus from his panicked and swirling mind. Right, he focused, they had to take on a captain next, he had no time to worry about his belligerent squadmates.

He was already planning the next battle, he figured that a compound spell might be in order to win against Rill. Their magic seemed compatible enough... yes, it really just might work! As he continued spitballing combo ideas, the group made their way back up to the observation area. Yuno's team was up, and Klaus was determined to cheer them on.

He noticed as they were finally back to their usual spots, that Yuno was butting heads with his teammate, Noelle Silva. Klaus recognized her, she was royalty after all, and she was Asta's teammate. As a noble, he was hyper aware of the Royal world, as it tied closely to his own, so he knew of the so called 'disappointment' of the Silva family.

Although, a part of him wondered if she was really as inept as people said, her performance in the dungeon had been less than stellar, but he wasn't one to judge when it came to that mission. But from what he'd heard, she had grown in power and confidence during her time with the Black Bulls. It really only figured, she spent a lot of her time with Asta after all, and the... other Black Bulls as well.

No matter his personal thoughts, Klaus knew that such discord in their team would pose a problem. After all, they were fighting Solid Silva, Noelle's older brother who was known for being a bully. Bully was really putting it lightly, he had beaten many of his opponents close to death, and even his teammates had seen many close calls, he was known for his wanton brutality and immature rationale. Not that anyone could really say anything, Solid was a royal and by social standards, they had to let him be. Even if Klaus did possibly want him to be kicked out of the magic knights because of his behavior, but such ideas were best left to imagination, if he actually proposed that, there was a very real chance he'd be Solid's next victim. At the very least, Captain Nozel kept Solid in check... sometimes.

But along with Solid being a reason to take the enemy team seriously, there was also Alecdora. Klaus was aware of his senior's dislike for Yuno, you had to be blind not to, and was deeply concerned. Alecdora had been, for the most part, a semi-reasonable man with a streak of obsession towards Captain Vangeance. Sure, Klaus admired his Captain, he was strong and capable, and also the man closest to becoming the Wizard King, but his admiration didn't even come close to the levels Alecdora was on.

Alecdora had always disliked Klaus for whatever reason, Klaus assumed that their families probably had a turbulent history that he was never informed about, and left it there, ready to accept the passive-aggressive remarks from his senior. But besides the insulting words he'd hear every so often, Alecdora would leave him alone, content to go about his day, working for the Golden Dawn. Until Yuno arrived.

Klaus admired and cared for his subordinate, but it was a plain and true fact, after Yuno joined, Alecdora had only grown more and more unstable and intolerable. And although his attitude was more focused on Yuno, he also lashed out at everyone else, but mostly those that were close to Yuno. Alecdora couldn't do anything to Mimosa, she was royalty and he hadn't entirely lost his mind, at least, not yet. But that left Klaus, a fellow nobleman who was lower in terms of power, rank and age, an easy target.

Captain Vangeance did care about his squad, he would do his best to talk to his subrodinates and help them grow, but lately, he just seemed... focused on Yuno, and Yuno alone. But that of course meant that Vangeance didn't notice Alecdora becoming more and more troublesome towards everyone else. Especially to Klaus. He had had several disciplinary meetings where his pay had been reduced, his requests for missions or supplies denied, he hadn't gotten a promotion in months despite his accomplishments, and along that same vein, he'd been threatened to be demoted. The reason Alecdora kept citing for these events? Failure to control his subordinates.

Which was just an excuse, all Alecdora really wanted was an allowed outlet to try and hurt Yuno in any way, shape, or form. Not that Klaus would allow it, besides, he told himself, he was an adult, he could handle it. So he never spoke about it, not to Mimosa, not to Yuno. But... he had mentioned it to Finral.

Finral was somebody he trusted, or at least, used to. He was separate from the Golden Dawn, he was so entirely different from Klaus' usual world that it was refreshing, and wonderful. And perhaps that was why this new piece of Finral's past had thrown him off, it didn't fit into his own puzzle.

But Klaus knew that was a selfish reason, that Finral not fitting into what Klaus' vision was an unfair reason to be this upset. But it wasn't just that, he could work through that, learn to move past it, but Finral also hadn't trusted him, he hadn't lied to Klaus but he hadn't told him the truth either. It was a mess, Klaus thought to himself as Yuno's team devolved into more chaos as their other teammate appeared. But what was imperitive was that he talk to Finral after the tournament, Finral was important to him, and he wanted them to sort through it, so a long, honest, conversation was going to be in order.

Well, mostly honest. He wasn't going to tell Finral _everything_ he'd been feeling, he'd just ignore those parts of himself for now, and eventually, they'd go away! At least that's what he told himself, even though he knew it was probably a blatant lie, and that suppressing it, fighting against it, only made it grow stronger. But it's not like he had any other choice, accepting it made it real, made it a part of him that would have to be dealt with.

Today was just a day of constant crisises he surmised, watching as Solid approached Yuno's team. With a concerned expression he listened in, waiting to hear whatever arrogant nonsense would most likely come out of his mouth. He remained tightlipped as Solid started to dig at his sister with a sadistic smirk on his face.

Klaus watched as Yuno observed the situation with a cold expression, he knew that Yuno was processing it and connecting dots. How he would use it was another question that Klaus wasn't quite sure about. But it would probably be answered soon, he thought as Solid was called away by Alecdora, who stared at Yuno with a blank kind of fury.

Klaus was concerned to put it lightly, Noelle was probably shaken and as much as confident as he was with Yuno, a match up with Alecdora would be difficult. He glanced over at their team, prepared to find himself with more shaken and traumatized teenagers, and he was surprised to see looks of determination plastered on their faces. Even their frail looking teammate -- En, if he remembered correctly -- appeared to have absorbed some of their spirit.

Well, if they were so confident he really had no choice but to believe in them, he thought as he smiled while watching them. Mimosa noticed the look on her seniors face, it was one of support and admiration, and she filed it away, labeling it as another thing to tease him about. Well, only a little bit.

Soon Yuno's team was on the field, the battle hadn't started yet and they were still arguing. Klaus wanted to tell them to knock it off and focus on the battle, but it always seemed useless trying to tell such stubborn kids what to do. They'd sink or swim, he told himself, and as much as he wanted to throw them a life jacket, they probably wouldn't even take it.

His opinions were immediately validated as the match suddenly began with Alecdora and Solid quickly advancing on Yuno's and Noelle's team, putting them at a sudden disadvantage. He knew it, all that arguing was going to catch up to them. He didn't want to say 'I told you so' but that was exactly what he was thinking of doing.

As he considered the pro's and con's of smugly telling Yuno off later, which would probably just end with Yuno rolling his eyes and walking away, said boy suddenly counterattacked with his own magic. With a great burst of power, the enemy team was knocked off of their combo spell, but even apart they were still formidable foes. A fire magic user, Klaus couldn't recall his name, shot off a powerful spell at Yuno's team. But Noelle, who's capabilities had grown during her time with the Black Bulls, was quick to use her powerful magic and cast a strong defense spell.

But as powerful as the young duo seemed to be, they were still fighting people who outweighed them in experience, and within an instant, Alecdora had slammed a massive amount of his magic down on Noelle's defensive barrier. Because of the elemental differences in their attributes, Alecdora's sand was absorbing Noelle's water, meaning they had to come up with something quick or they'd be defeated right off the bat. Klaus' concern about the team was put to rest as Yuno and Noelle shot out of the large pile of sand that had gathered, they seemed to be deliberating about something.

Klaus didn't have much time to wonder what as Alecdora blocked their escape, the man intently focused on one-upping a literal child. Of course, his tunnel vision allowed for Yuno and Noelle to escape his poorly planned restraining and they separated, the pair finally deciding on a plan. It looked like Yuno would be the one defending the crystal while Noelle moved forward to destroy the enemy team's own crystal.

It seemed to be a decently thought out plan, Klaus pondered, it would draw Solid away from Alecdora, effectively making them unable to work together to produce another powerful combo spell. But that wasn't a reason to get too excited, they were still dangerous on their own, especially with how... obsessed Alecdora seemed. As the match continued, it seemed like Yuno would be pitted against Alecdora and Noelle against Solid, the match was stacked and all that was left was to see how the pieces would fall.

Alecdora and Yuno wasted no time, with the older magic knight quickly drawing upon one of his more powerful spells, determined to squash the insolent peasant who dared to be close to the Captain. However, Yuno was extremely powerful and Klaus knew that Alecdora would make the mistake of underestimating him, many members of the Golden Dawn did. With Alecdora's ignorance and his thoughtless actions, Klaus knew it would be a quick loss, he had utter faith that Yuno would defeat him.

With that in mind, he drew his attention over to Noelle, who was on the defensive from Solid's constant attacks. He knew that she wouldn't be able to defend against her brother forever, he could tell she was starting to lose bearing. And the situation only got worse as Solid's other teammate entered the mix, he seemed angry about Solid running off but was quick to offer his help.

This isn't good, thought Klaus, Noelle needed to start attacking or she'd be defeated by them. But as Solid's other teammate was ready to start going on the offense, he fell to the ground, suddenly squished by a surge of magical power. That was odd... thought Klaus, perhaps Yuno and Noelle's teammate had finally decided to join in.

And just as he expected, Yuno and Noelle's teammate made an entrance on a... running mushroom? Well, that was magic, thought Klaus as he struggled not to react, always something odd and exciting. He took in the facts of the battle, slowly considering all the possibilities, and was logically left unsure about who would win, although, for some reason, he just felt like Yuno and Noelle would.

He disregarded his own feelings, an action becoming increasingly familiar to him, and focused on the fight, watching as Noelle and En conversed through En's mushroom magic. It was interesting, but a little weird, concluded Klaus. He didn't have much time to come up with any other thoughts about the magic before Solid quickly launched a barrage of attack spells, one of them came close to hitting Noelle, but instead, hit the mushroom on her shoulder.

Klaus tensed, he was invested in this fight, he wanted Yuno to win, of course, but he was also looking forward to seeing Alecdora and Solid loose. They were stark examples of awful magic knights, and though Klaus knew that he himself had... issues before meeting Asta and Yuno, they'd never been to the point where he'd taken it out on his squad. But he didn't have to worry, because in a moment of defiance, Noelle raised her wand, prepared to beat her brother into the ground.

As Noelle drew forth her great magic power, showcasing her strength in a glorious display, Yuno was being confronted by Alecdora's most powerful spell. Alecdora had truly let go of any sort of dignity or standards through this fight, he had the nerve to lecture his subordinates about being failures but here he was, openly expressing his jealousy of Yuno and Vangeance's relationship. Klaus was actually relieved when Yuno ignored Alecdora's tantrum, and destroyed his spell with one of his most simple attacks, because if anything, Alecdora was the one embarrassing the Golden Dawn.

Klaus turned back to Noelle's fight, and with a barely noticeable smug look in his eyes, watched as she finished calling out her spell name. Just as he suspected, she had grown stronger and more fierce, and her new attack showed that. It was huge, an absolutely dazzling display of royal power rushing at terrifying speeds towards it's target, the suddenly wimpy looking Solid. It collided with him, crashing him against his crystal, shattering it and sending him flying. Noelle stood atop it all, staring angrily down at her ignorant and immature brother, Klaus couldn't tell what she was saying, but knew that it was important.

After a brief second of confirmation, Yuno's team was announced to be the winning one, and the dust on the field cleared. Alecdora was shell shocked, muttering to himseld as Yuno interrupted, probably to say something rude and scathingly blunt. Yuno's team made it back to the observation area, with En congratulating Noelle in a supportive manner while Charmy swarmed Yuno, immediately offering him food. She must really like him, Klaus wondered, he didn't even know they had met.

As he looked at the board, he noticed that Asta's team was next, and they'd be facing off against Kirsch Vermillion. He wondered if they'd be able to win against him, and he looked over to see them arguing amongst each other, Xerx seemed to enjoy antagonizing Atsa. He looked back down at the ground and questioned if choosing anyone from this tournament for a serious mission would be a good idea.

His thoughts were cut short by the announcement of the match starting, and teams started to take their place on the field. Klaus quickly blocked out the rest of his thoughts, trying to prepare himself to watch the match and cheer on his frie-, he stopped himself. No, not friends, subordinates, this was the type of thinking that got him in trouble. He shook his head, clearing his mind as the first spell was cast, Kirsch had taken the first step of fighting and had immediately covered the area in a storm of petals.

His magic was so immense and powerful, that it blocked any form of sight or any sort of accurate mana sense. Klaus couldn't tell what was happening, but he knew that Asta wouldn't give up that easily, especially if Mimosa was prepared to fight. His thoughts were proven right as a familiar power suddenly raged it's way through the field of flower petals, it seemed stronger, somehow, and a lot... scarier. Asta had been training, but just what exactly had he unlocked?

His question still wasn't answered as the magic dissipated, the arena clear once again and shocked expressions on everyone's faces. It was a double edged sword, Klaus thought. Yes, Asta had cleared the stage but the magic traps his teammate had admitted to setting up were also probably gone. Well, when one door opens, another closes.

And right on schedule, Asta's teammate was yelling at him, angry about their advantage being destroyed. Klaus sighed as the argument continued on, really, what was with all of these people being unable to work together? Even he'd learned that in battle, you had to trust your teammates, even if you didn't like or agree with them, because if you didn't, you'd probably die. Of course, Asta's team was probably lucky because Kirsch was having trouble with his own team.

As Asta's argument -- now turned constructive planning session -- continued, Kirsch apparently reacted negatively to something his teammates had said and was rushing away from them, disregarding any basic battle strategy. And of course, without their leader, Sol and Magna being the reckless and stubborn people they were, they would probably separate and ultimately, the team would lose. If he was being honest with himself, Klaus thought that no sane person would choose anyone from this tournament to take part in a highly important, very teamwork heavy and level-headedness based raid, everyone here had almost none of those qualities.

But as usual, Klaus' worried were for nothing, Asta's team split apart, having come up with a workable enough plan to satisfy them. Asta and Xerx ran towards a cave, they gathered inside and started... digging a hole? Klaus was confused, but figured it would be explained later, instead, he focused on Mimosa, who seemed to be heading towards the enemy crystal. She had grown in strength, and was a capable fighter, so the task seemed simple enough. But if Finral was to be trusted, and Klaus was iffy on that at the moment, then Magna had grown stronger as well, and that Sol person also seemed to be a decent opponent.

He decided to wait and see, planning to support Asta and Mimosa. His thoughts were interrupted by a dash of bright color across his sightline, it was Kirsch, still frazzled and rushed, but trying to fight anyways. Klaus watched carefully as Asta popped out of the cave, covered in sweat and a bit of dirt, Xerx had stayed behind and seemed to be finishing up a few trap spells. But they seemed to be away from the hole, what were they planning?

Kirsch didn't hesitate to start attacking, calling forth more cherry blossom petals to swirl and slice at Asta, giving the boy some minor cuts. Asta cut through the magic quickly enough ,and jumped to back into the rock face, seemingly trying to lure Kirsch inside it. But the magic trap spells that had been laid weren't well hidden, and someone like Kirsch would easily be able to sense them. Kirsch did in fact take notice, and with an unbelievable air of condescension, called upon his clone spell to take care of it for him. Many versions of the narcissistic royal fluttered down, just as flighty as their caster, and primly landed on the traps, setting them off and effectively destroying the ruse that had been set up.

But as Kirsch set himself on the ground, walking up to Asta while monologuing about how easy it was to defeat him, Klaus realized the plan. As soon as Kirsch took another step forward, unaware of the missing chunk of ground beneath him, he plunged into the hole. A rather simple, but effective way of taking care of him, Klaus noted, feeling a sense of pride.

Even as Kirsch tried to fight back with his tremendous amount of power, Asta didn't hesitate to move and with a strong and determined swing, knocked the royal out. Kirsch was down and out for the count, Klaus thought as he pushed up his glasses, and Asta and his teammate seemed to having a brief discussion. Asta ended it with a bold declaration of teamwork, and the fight continued on.

Klaus was lucky to have a good view of the entire field, because there was so much happening that he would've been lost without it. In one section, Mimosa was facing off against Sol, it seemed she was trying out a new strategy of planting attack magic seeds, but in doing so, had let her guard down and Sol was able to restrain her with ease. But back down where Asta and Xerx were, Magna was bolting in and attacking them with the new spell he'd learned, it was rather simple, a little bit of trickery is all it was, but it seemed to work rather well.

But it seemed to be more of a distraction than anything else, Klaus noticed, because Sol had moved on from Mimosa and had made her way to Kirsch, who was trapped in the hole after Xerx had collapsed the small cave on him. Klaus thought that was completely unnecessary, and crossing a line, but he could still sense that Kirsch was alive, if not a little injured. And Sol's attribute was earth, so making her way through the pile of dirt and rock was an easy enough task for her. He could tell she was inside, probably telling Kirsch off for running away and causing their team to be thrown into chaos, and turned his attention away from them and back to Asta.

Asta seemed to be having a hard time defending against Magna's new spell, but Xerx seemed to be using his time to make a decently strong trap spell, if Asta could defend long enough, they might be able to win. As the fight heated up, literally and figuratively, with Magna declaring he'd be the one to make it to the finals, Kirsch busted out of his earthen prison, prepared to take revenge for his embarrassing defeat.

Klaus leaned forward a bit, Mimosa was still trapped, and Asta and Xerx were now surrounded by Magna's and Kirsch's intense magic, it seemed like a dire situation. But with a flick of his wrist, Xerx had flung his hastily made trap onto his crystal, it was hidden by the chaos of the battle, but from their vantage point, the observers has noticed. The battle suddenly turned slow-motion as Xerx yelled for Asta to attack Kirsch and Magna powered up his attack to hit the crystal

Magna's attack was launched, and within a second it had collided with the trapped crystal, but because of Xerx's spell, his attack was reflected right back. Magna tried to defend against the attack, assuming it was an imitation of his spell, but just like his, it disappeared when he tried to block it and it blew up in his face. Magna was out of commission, but seemingly happy about how powerful his spell was. Klaus sighed once more, truly, the Black Bulls were a mystery.

Screaming soon cut through his distracted thoughts, and he turned back to Asta and Kirsch's fight, the royal had brazenly announced that Asta was a difficult opponent and was putting everything he had into attacking him. Of course, he had become so focused on showing Asta up that he hadn't noticed his arm becoming stuck in Xerx's midair trap. It was hard to believe that people who practiced trap spells could place them almost anywhere, but if one did their research they would know, but royals tended to forgo knowledge and just depend on their power.

It was only now that such tactics and ignorance seemed to be catching up to Kirsch, as he struggled to get the trap off of him, it gave Asta all the time he needed to attack. He rushed at Kirsch, reaching him all the way up in the air, and smacked him once more with his sword, defeating the royal again. As Kirsch fell to the ground, Sol burst through it, declaring Kirsch's sacrifice to not be in vain. With nothing left to defend Asta's crystal, her golem lurched toward it, it's massive hand seeking to shatter it. Klaus nervously shifted his weight, where was Mimsoa? He thought, but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her frantically climbing her way towards the fight, her magic raring up and activating the seeds inside of Sol's spell.

Sol's golem stopped right before it hit the crystal, Mimosa's activation had finally taken place, and her magic was now controlling Sol's for a brief amount of time. In an instant, it had ripped open it's chest, exposing the previously protected crystal to Asta. He cheered, and in one fell swoop, lopped it on half, destroying it and winning the match. Of course they'd do something that crazy, thought Klaus as he let out a breathe. He really did worry for nothing sometimes.

As Mimosa and her brother had a small, but surprising, moment on the field, Klaus looked at the board with apprehension, according to the line up, Finral was next. He had been pointedly ignoring the match up, and ignoring the thoughts that would inevitably come with it. Still, he couldn't help it as his eyes slipped over to Finral, who was standing still while Vanessa combed his hair. He watched carefully as Finral said something to her while the rest of his squad was distracted, and reached his hand over to hers. They clasped them together, and Finral whispered something with a bitter smile and a pained look in his eye. After a second, they let go and she slipped her hand into her pocket, had Finral given her something?

Ah, so they did have that kind of relationship, thought Klaus as he gripped his arm tighter. He shouldn't be upset over something like this, really, he was better than that. Besides, Vanessa did seem like a wonderful person, a little... odd, but a strong and caring knight. But it wasn't just that stupid hurt in his chest that gave him a bad taste in his mouth, it was just... something in the air.

He couldn't deny that he'd been uneasy since the morning, he thought that it was nerves from having to face off against powerful people, or even... seeing Finral, but no, it wasn't that. There was something... not right about this whole tournament, and it made his skin crawl. He glanced over to Langris, who looked innocent enough standing with his team, and found that the feeling screaming at him in the pit of his stomach grew stronger. It was a primal fear, and the urge to run came over him.

He wasn't a superstitious man, and now that he had been taught better, he tried not to judge people as much. But Langris had always struck him as aggressive and cold-hearted, but today, even just being around him him was terrifying. The way he casually threatened to hurt Finral, his own flesh and blood, and with a sadistic smile on his face...

No, he dug his nails into his arm, stop it. Finral would be fine, he'd win this, and after the tournament, they'd talk. That was the plan, that's what was going to happen. There was no such thing as intuition, it's not like his magic worked like that after all. Everything would be fine.

He was surprised by the sudden announcement of the match starting, he'd apparently been so distracted that he hadn't noticed the teams had taken the field. Nobody had moved yet, and it appeared each one was still in the planning stages. Klaus watched closely as Hamòn called upon a detection spell, it would allow them to find the crystal and get a jump on the other team. The downside was that it would take a while to complete Hamòn's view of the field, meaning Langris might have enough time to catch up.

Sudden movement caught Klaus' eye, speak of the devil and he will arrive, thought Klaus. Langris was closing in on Finral's team, a disturbingly furious look in his eye as his imposing figure was unmoved by the forces of air rushing around him. He was still using his teammates transport spell to move around, and was seemingly having a conversation with the caster. That of course came to an end when Finral and his crystal came into Langris' view.

Langris, thinking it would be an easy win, didn't hesitate to raise his hand while taunting Finral, and flung his attack with pinpoint accuracy at his target. But if Finral would do what Klaus thought he would, then there would be a chance to win this. It was a long shot, but was there really any other option?

A few days ago, when they'd been talking, Finral had told him about this theory that spatial mages could cancel each other out. Klaus, despite trying to be distant and cold, had become intrigued by such a notion and encouraged Finral to do more research. Apparently, Klaus would find out right here and now if the theory had been right.

Langris' magic flew through the air, hurtling towards Finral's crystal, Finral opened his hand and with a small moment of concentration, blocked Langris' magic with his own. They collided, and for a brief second, a flash of green energy was seen, and then it was gone in a blink of an eye. He'd done it, Klaus thought, ecstatic about the victory, Finral had really done it!

Hamòn's spell had finally found the location of the enemy crystal, and he wasted no time relaying the information to Finral, who'd become the de facto leader of the team. Finral portaled Hamòn and Leo to the enemy location, and stayed behind to defend the crystal. It seemed the other fight would take place in a shielded tower, and to Klaus, he found no interest in keeping up with it, he found himself too invested in the current battle.

The Black Bulls were cheering Finral on, encouraging him to keep going until his teammates could destroy Langris' crystal. They were a tightknight group, they really acted more like a family than professional colleagues, the idea of which was completely foreign to the rest of the magic knights. It was probably good for Finral to have that much support, Klaus thought, that was probably how he grew so much.

And speaking of his growth, he was still down below, fighting against Langris with everything he had. Almost anything Langris threw at him, he matched up against, it was only a matter of time now. Klaus watched with increasing anxiety as Langris slowly got more unhinged, taunting his brother as the match carried on. Until Finral brought out his grimoire and powered up with a determined look on his face.

Klaus watched with curiosity slowly creeping it's way in, drowning out the alarm bells that had been sounding in his head. Finral had told him about this new spell of his, 'Fallen Angel's Wingbeat', it wasn't an attack spell, no, but a different use of his usual magic. Klaus thought it was innovative and an amazing application of practical magic, but Finral had called it pathetic that he couldn't even be of use in battle. It had taken time for Klaus to learn, but maybe there was a different kind of bravery that Finral had, after all, his kindness wasn't something Klaus could say most people possessed.

Klaus tried, and failed, to keep a small smile from slipping onto his face as Finral called out his spell, sending it out towards Langris' teammate. At first, it seemed like a weak attempt at attacking, but after they dodged it, it came around again and followed them. Langris took one look and immediately abandoned his teammate, jumping off from the transport spell and away from the situation. The moving blob of magic missed him and headed straight for the other knight, who was already trying to encase himself in defensive magic. It collided with the boy and blinked him away from the field, effectively putting Langris' team at a disadvantage.

A sense of pride overcame him as he watched Finral explain the mechanics of his new spell, even if he insulted himself in the process. At this rate, Finral would win! It would happen, he told himself, he knew it would!

His internal cheering was cut short as the pressure dropped and the sky darkened. Storm clouds swirled in, blocking light from hitting the field. The mildly bitter taste that had been in his mouth was now rotten, as if everything had suddenly decayed. And at the center of it all, was Langris.

It felt... _horrible_, Klaus didn't know how else to explain it. It just wasn't right, everything about Langris' mana just screamed that it was abhorrent. It wasn't usually a good feeling, but this was... something else entirely. This oppressive feeling, it wasn't anything _human_.

Langris continued to draw upon it, calling together this treacherous force into solid form, hellbent on attacking. His spell grew behind him, dwarfing his size with the sheer number he had in his arsenal. Klaus knew Finral had to run, he'd trained but this was something else, this was monstrous.

"Please..." Klaus muttered, letting down his guard enough for the word to find it's way out of his mouth.

But his plea was drowned out by Finral's voice, which had finally spoken loud enough to hear.

"Langris, stop it! If you keep this up, I have a feeling you won't be you anymore!" Finral yelled, mustering up his own arsenal of spells.

"What could you possibly know about me, Brother? You left everything behind! You're a coward who can't even hurt people, don't try to act like my big brother now!" Langris screamed, he had long ago forgone any sense of coolness.

With a sudden lurching of his body, Langris heaved his magic forward. Dozens of attack spells rushed towards Finral, who was still trying to multiply his own spell to cancel it out. He ran out of time, but that didn't matter, he'd get though to his brother, no matter the cost!

"I'll stop you!" He yelled in response, planting his feet and refusing to move, summoning the limited number he had to go and meet his brother's.

Klaus couldn't see anymore, the crash of mana had been blindingly strong. He was knocked out of his senses, he couldn't feel anything either, as he blinked the pain out of his eyes his heart dropped to his stomach.

No. No, no. No, no, no, _no, no, no, no, NO!_ He repeated in horror, he couldn't feel Finral's mana, _why couldn't he sense Finral?!_ His eyes hastily scanned the broken battle field, he put his foot forward and craned his head to try and see, catching the attention of Yuno and Mimosa who had begun to notice the dread that was covering his form.

There he was, he noticed, his eyes catching a brief flicker of a familiar green shirt. He was fine, just knocked out and laying down, he told himself. Denial was pouring from part of his body, he wasn't able to process it.

But the smoke cleared, and now he had to. Because Finral wasn't okay, he was, far, _far_ from okay. And all Klaus could feel was how cold it suddenly was, and how his mouth was now filled with a copper taste, he hadn't even felt himself bite down on his tongue. He was numb, in shock.

He was numb as Finral's crystal shattered and disintegrated, full of holes like it's protector, he was numb as he saw the blood ooze onto the ground. It was silent, and everyone else was numb for a moment too.

But the world started once more, and with Asta screaming Finral's name, Langris raised his hand, determined to finish Finral off. Klaus didn't want to move, he didn't _want_ to feel what he knew he was going to. But he had to, he had to because someone was in danger, someone he _cared_ about was in danger, and he- he couldn't just let him die.

With a harsh snap of his neck, he turned to Yuno. Yuno was taken aback for a moment by the intense look on Klaus' face, but stood his ground, he looked him in the eyes and nodded, agreeing to their silent transaction.

The Black Bulls had the same idea, and the lot of them rushed over to Charmy, who was standing taller than usual. They crushed together on her magic sheep cook, and were quickly launched towards the battle, their magic ablaze with rage and panic.

Yuno stepped back with one foot, and with a tremendous call of his mana the wind started swirling violently, it picked up speed around Klaus, and with an exaggerated throw of Yuno's hand, it began to lift him up. Yuno glanced at his senior one more time to confirm that this was what he wanted, and was met with a cold and desperate stare in return. He hesitated for a moment, but steeled himself with a breathe, he narrowed his eyes on his target, and while putting his entire weight behind it, used his magic to throw Klaus as fast and as accurate as he could.

It worked as well as it could, and in a few seconds, he was at the scene, hurtling at intense speeds. He thrust one of his lances to slow him down enough to skid along the ground, and managed to stop himself only a few feet away from Finral, who was already surrounded by Noelle and Vanessa. Their faces contained momentary shock and surprise, and the other Black Bulls tensed up, prepared to fight.

Noelle shook it off, of course he would also defend Finral. Klaus rushed over to his side, kneeling down beside him along with the other Black Bulls who weren't currently confronting Langris.

"Who the hell are you?" Said Gauche, his tone of voice offered it's own sort of message.

"Stop it, Gauche." Noelle curtly responded, "He's a friend of Finral's."

"Tch. He's a member of the Golden Dawn is what he is." Gauche muttered, but put away his mirror all the same.

Noelle looked at Klaus, "He's alive, but he's going to need help soon."

Klaus nodded, his face still clouded and neutral, "Thank you."

"Yeah, no problem." Noelle softly replied, her voice sounding distant to Klaus' ringing ears.

He was by his side, but now what? He was surrounded by people who probably thought he was the enemy, except for Noelle, and he wasn't really sure how she had known they were close. Not that he should be worrying about that right now, after all his friend was severely injured, not that he could stand to look down and see the full extent of Finral's injuries.

Had the edges of his vision always been so dark? When had it become so hard to breathe? He needed to get ahold of himself, he couldn't let himself spiral right now, there was no time for it. His vision was still tunneling, focused on the ground to the side of him. It sickened him, he could smell it, the skin and blood that had been singed by mana, the ground and earth soaked with blood. He'd been on the battlefield before, he was a soldier, he'd seen his fair share of injuries and deaths, but nothing had ever quite hit him like this.

His hands had folded on his legs, and were still curling in on themselves, his nails digging hard into his palms. It wasn't until he heard Noelle speak that he noticed the Wizard King and the official royal healer, Dr. Owen, had come on the field. He stumbled up with as much grace as he could muster, and made room for Finral to be healed.

Dr. Owen set right to work, his water healing magic taking the form of a jellyfish and wrapping it's tendrils around the wounded areas. Klaus slowly let his eyes travel down the appendages, swallowing hard as they hovered right above Finral. He closed his eyes for a moment befor opening them and forcing himself to look down.

He was going to throw up. He'd only had a brief look at the damage from his spot far away from the battle field, and had pointedly avoided looking at it when he'd been beside him. But now, here it was, right in his face. Klaus was surprised Finral was alive, he- he could see _through_ the holes in his body, it reminded him of the training dummies he used to use as target practice. It was such a morbid thought that he almost felt like laughing, almost.

He could hear Langris, his voice ringing in his ears and swirling around in the air, dancing with a barbed sense of insult and apathy. Klaus felt the sudden urge to throw one of his lances at his Vice Captain, just to not have to hear him speak another sickening word, his fingers had already gravitated towards the grimoire holstered on his hip. He clenched them and wrenched his hand down as a look of disdain flashed across his face, his head turned towards the man who had just tried to murder his companion.

Langris was too busy to notice his subordinate glaring at him, he was caught up in insulting the Black Bulls while Asta barely contained his seething anger. Klaus decided not to involve himself, Asta and his friends had Langris covered, it would be best if he stayed by Finral. He composed himself, and slowly turned his head back towards where Finral was getting healed as his friends surrounded him.

He was hesitant to take the few steps towards the group, this was Finral's squad, and he was no one but a stranger to most of them. But... he couldn't leave Finral either. The lump in his throat grew larger and more painful as he saw the Black Bulls plead for Finral to wake up, and he felt the urge to fall to the ground alongside them. But he didn't.

He slowly walked over to the group, all of them hunkered over Finral, their faces twisted with despair. Finral needed to pull through, not just for him, but for his team. Look at all these people that care about you, Klaus thought, you can't let them down, didn't you say you were going to show us what you were made of?

His thoughts were interrupted by his spine tensing with the force of a hurricane, Langris' nauseating magic had powered back up. He whipped his body around, his body already powering up for defensive measures. When had finished spinning around, his grimoire floating in front of him with his hand outcast, he wasn't surprised to see that Asta and Langris were in the middle of fighting.

Still, he kept his guard up as Asta expertly negated Langris' deadly magic, his grimoire's pages slowly flipping to his Full Metal Fortress, just in case Langris decided to go after easier targets. It seemed the Wizard King was encouraging this madness, staring at the two knights with an unreadable expression. Everyone was tense as Asta and Langris prepared to clash again, and as much as Klaus tried to hide it, his outstretched hand was shaking.

As Asta reared his sword, preparing to show no mercy to someone he deemed an unworthy magic knight, Langris prepared to try to take another life. They awoke their powers and rushed towards each other with their own burning conviction, and everyone else prepared to face the backlash of such a fight.

"Time Binding Magic: Chrono Stasis." A voice rung out.

A flash of light covered the area, and when the blindness cleared from their eyes, everyone was in shock to see Asta and Langris hovering, frozen in large bubbles with the Wizard King standing behind them. Klaus slowly put down his hand and let his grimoire float back to his hip, even if the Wizard King was a mystery, he still wouldn't let his citizens get hurt.

"You two can hear me, yes?" The Wizard King spoke, his voice serious for once, "Although I'd like for you two fight as if this were real combat, it is still a match. Sit tight for a long second, until the preparations for the match are completed. Don't worry, I'll have everything ready before your enthusiasm cools."

So Asta and Langris were going to have an actual match, Klaus thought as his face twisted with worry. Finral was already in horrible shape and if something happened to Asta as well, he really didn't know what he'd do. But he looked at the boy, Asta's face was frozen in a primal scream with that anti-magic sword at his side, and decided to let him take care of it.

As the Wizard King ordered preparations for the match to be made, sending the on-hand spatial magic user anywhere and everywhere, the group surrounding Finral was told to be leave the battlefield. After many threats of bloodshed and an untimely demise for the poor messenger mage, they were informed that they would be moving Finral to the observation area to allow Dr. Owen to do his job and to not separate the injured mage from his... protective squad.

Klaus frowned as they were all bustled together, as much faith as he had in healing magic, he was unsure if it was a wise idea to move Finral. Not even thinking about the possible blood loss or the definitive missing organs and chunks of flesh, was this even sanitary? Klaus had no time to call into question the practices of medical magic as they ushered off the field on a hurried manner.

The change in scenery hadn't provided any relief, as skilled as Dr. Owen was, it seemed he was having a difficult time. Klaus wasn't even sure if these injuries were, well, able to be healed. Langris' ability had taken large chunks out of Finral, and the holes had gone straight through, even the ones in his chest. Not that Klaus would even consider the option of Finral not healing, he was having a hard enough time keeping cool already but if he allowed his mind to wander down that path, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to find his way back out.

As he stood with the Black Bulls, who were each trying in their own way to encourage their senior to wake up in spite of dire news, he could feel the glares from his squad. Not only had he stood with a team that had defied their Vice Captain, but he had also dared to draw his grimoire with the intention of fighting him. A small action to some, but in the world of nobles and intricate political and social rituals, people had been killed for less.

Normally he'd be worried, put on edge by it, but with everything that had happened, it just... didn't matter, did it? Is that what Finral had meant by telling Klaus to live for himself, that Noble politics were a rigged and foolish game to play? Maybe, but he couldn't exactly ask Finral now, could he.

His thoughts were interrupted by the match starting, Asta and Langris had been released from their restraints and were on the field with their teams. He craned his neck to see, Asta looked furious as he talked to his team, unable to take his eyes away from Langris, who seemed to have gone off the deep end. As he continued his observations of the team, he felt someone tap his shoulder.

He faced around, unsure of who to expect, and with great surprise, saw that it was Noelle. Her face was no longer the picture of triumph, but rather, a tight line that came with processing complex feelings. She looked at Klaus in the eyes, her stare giving nothing away until she opened her mouth.

"There's room next to Finral now, you're his friend too, right?" She said, although judging from her neutral tone, she already knew the answer.

"I...," Klaus could deny it, but what was the point? Everyone saw him rush the field for Finral, and lying about their connection seemed... unnecessary, as embarassed as they'd been to have their squad members find out, it was a childish worry compared to their current situation. "suppose I am."

"Good, there's time before your match starts, and Finral's not gonna wake up without help." Noelle said, conveying utter seriousness.

Klaus winced but allowed himself to walk with Noelle to Finral's side once more, the Black Bulls had dispersed from clumping around him to still being in the vicinity but cheering for Asta. The ones who were still next to Finral were Vanessa, Luck, and Magna, who were rooting for Asta in their own way.

Noelle planted herself near Finral, but still left room beside her for her temporary ally. Klaus took a breathe and stepped into the spot, his presence catching the attention of the Black Bulls who were stationed next to their friend. Luck and Magna gave him a glance before turning their heads back towards Finral, while Vanessa let her gaze linger, the wheels in her head turning. She moved from her spot and tapped Noelle on the shoulder, she scooted over to make room for her.

She was next to Klaus now, who found it a bit odd that she'd specifically wanted to stand next to him, maybe she was suspicious of him. Not that he could blame her, his Vice Captain had just tried to murder someone who was very obviously precious to her. But her stance nor her mana indicated that, if she was worried about Klaus turning on them, she didn't show it.

"Hey," Vanessa said, her voice surprising Klaus a bit, "this is yours, right?"

Her hand was extended to Klaus, in her gloved palm was a circular device, compact and bronze in color. Klaus' eyes widened, it was the caller he had gotten Finral. But how did Vanessa have it, did she take it off of Finral? He was also curious as to how it wasn't destroyed, he thought that anything on Finral's person would've also sustained a good amount of damage.

"I mean, I gave it to him but how..." He said softly, his hand reaching down into his robe, pulling out his own caller.

It shifted right into the palm of his hand as he put it next to Vanessa's, his caller confirmed it, it was a pair. Magna and Luck, who had been aggressively both threatening and encouraging their friend to open his eyes, stopped for a moment to watch. Noelle had briefly glanced at them, but deemed it too uninteresting for her to continue giving it her attention.

"He handed it to me before the match, he said he didn't want it to get broken." Vanessa spoke, her voice calm and low.

"Did he?" Klaus muttered, more focused on the caller than a response.

"He also told me that it was an important gift from a good friend, a good friend he had to apologize to later." Vanessa finished, letting the caller slip into Klaus' open hand.

"Huh? But I-" Klaus protested, his voice tinged with with a tender touch that hadn't been there before.

"Once he wakes up, you can give it back to him." Vanessa cut in, raising her head to meet Klaus' eyes.

He stopped, despite her collected way of speaking, he could now see she was close to breaking down. Her eyes were red and her mouth was in a tight line, but all the same, Klaus saw himself in her. He kept his mouth shut and nodded, agreeing to keep it until Finral woke up.

"Thanks, I know he'll be glad you were the one taking care of it." She gave him a small, pained smile before turning back to Finral.

Asta and Langris' fight was heating up, while they'd been talking, the teams had come together to battle. Well, only Asta's team participated, Langris had told his teammates to stay out of the way, or else. Asta's team had advanced towards Langris, choosing to use the strategy of bringing their crystal with them. Of course, they were reminded of the drawbacks when Langris started firing off his magic, and with Asta being the only one able to defend against it, they were fighting an uphill battle.

He was torn, how else could he say it, he could watch Asta fight Langris and possibly lose, or he could stay next to Finral, agonizing over the possibility that recovery magic might not be enough. What was one to do when all the universe gave them were painful choices?

He heard Vanessa next to him, ordering Finral to wake up, her pleading tone falling on deaf ears. He winced, and tried his best to stay composed, his hands gripping his arms to stop them from moving. His head was still turned towards the arena, he figured watching Asta fight would be less painful than the scene directly in front of him. He wasn't sure that was true.

Although Mimosa had joined in with her healing magic, Asta was still being slowly overwhelmed by Langris' power. Asta was being struck by his attacks more and more, a few even going so far as to hit the crystal. But a determined look flashed on the young boy's face, and he stopped suddenly, and lifted his sword to his other hand. Was he just going to let Langris hit him? Klaus questioned, getting nervous as the attacks got closer. He was sure that this would be a repeat of earlier, when Xerx jumped in front of Asta, blocking the spatial magic spells.

Klaus watched, shocked as he noticed that Xerx had placed a trap spell on himself, one that seemed to reflect magic back onto the opponent. But as Klaus watched closely, leaning his body towards the match, he saw that the spell was _on_ Xerx's body, a constant drain of magical power. And there was no telling if such a risky move would actually work, but Fate liked to shine on Asta once in a while, and it had granted him a glimmer of hope today. The spell built upon itself inside the trap, creating am even greater magic force, before being pushed back to its creator.

"He reflected spatial magic, and made it twice as powerful?" Klaus noted under his breathe, his habit getting the better of him.

He had no time to be surprised, the spell flew back towards Langris, who was just standing there with his open grimoire. Langris didn't back down from the rebound and simply raised his own magic power, intent on defeating the opposing team. Although his mana today had been odd and inhuman, it was only dabs of it, soft touches, enough to be terrifying but not enough to completely question it. But now... he reveled in it, he soaked in the darkness and came out laughing, screaming, and it only served to strengthen him.

"Vice Captain Langris' magical power has grown even more, but this..." He muttered, no longer trying to yell as he had earlier.

Langris continued to emphasize his slide into unreasonable and childish rage by screaming he was special, that peasants were worthless because _he was so special_. Was this really the Vice Captain of his squad, Klaus thought, feeling his own rage build inside him. Someone so threatened by different people existing anywhere near his level, that he was willing to hurt, to maim, to _kill_. Because that's what Langris was trying to do, no way of getting around it, he was trying to murder people.

Klaus was worried as Langris started to use his newfound power to fire more shots at Xerx, but as usual, Asta swooped in, prepared to defend his teammates for as long as he could. And he did, destroying the powerful spells in one blow. Asta refused to lose to someone as awful as his opponent, he would win, he would never stop trying to fix this broken system.

As Asta and Langris dueled with words, Asta expressing that it was important to work together, to overcome outdated ideas, Langris refused to accept it, clinging to the idea he was born amazing and everyone else should suffer because they weren't. It was a stab in the gut to watch, with Finral laying barely breathing only inches away from Klaus as Langris continued yelling about how he was a disappointment.

Asta had had enough, Langris wouldn't be talked down, and it was time to end the match. He almost felt bad for what he was about to do to Finral's brother, but the image of Finral laying on the ground, not responding as his life drained from him was enough for him to push past it.

"Shut up! If you didn't want to die, you should've kept your mouth shut in your little hole, you failure!" Langris roared as he unleashed wanton destruction across the field.

"Is that right? In that case, I'll take this failed power and burn it into you!" Asta yelled in response, using the form he'd unleashed to launch himself at astonishing speeds.

In a moment, he'd closed the distance between him and Langris, and by quickly turning the blade to the flat side, he was able to smash into his opponent and continue carrying him forward. Langris flew across the battlefield, he had no magic power because of Asta's sword and was completely at the mercy of the boy he'd pissed off. Not that Asta would kill him, he wasn't that type of person, but a little pain was in order.

It was time to take two birds out with one stone, Asta and his excess baggage were veering towards the enemy crystal. Asta concentrated right before he slammed into the rock, he tossed Langris' body into it before flipping the sword once more and cutting through the crystal, directly under his unconscious opponent.

Klaus watched in amazement, Asta's new power was incredibly more advanced than he had last seen. And the speed at which he was able to fly across the field was astounding. But as he glanced to the other side, Asta's crystal had also broken. This meant it that Asta hadn't won, it was a draw.

Klaus felt an irrational twinge of white-hot anger strike his mind, it was just... unfair. All of it was so unfair that he could barely think. But he was able to see that Magna was making his way to the field, where Asta looked like he would fall over at any moment and where Xerx was berating both his enemies and his teammates.

He found himself caught up with them, unsure of how he let himself be led away from his post by a group of moving people. But even if it was an accident, he made his way to the forefront where Magna was, Asta was in his last legs and he fell onto his teammate. He looked barely conscious and beaten halfway to Sunday, but alive.

As soon as everyone had seen him, it had taken a lot of crowd control and the singular spatial mage who was the only one on duty, but they were all soon back on the observation point. Langris was being carried off to the medical tower of the Clover Castle, along with Finral, who Vanessa insisted she go with.

"I'm sorry I can't go with you." Klaus said as she was about to leave, Cob was in the middle of opening the doorway.

"Don't apologize, I'm pretty sure he'd be mad if you missed your match, anyways." She replied, a ghost of a smile fleeting on her face.

"You're right, but still..." Klaus trailed off, signaling an awkward silence between them.

"Bye," She spoke as Dr. Owen beckoned her to come, "I hope we meet again under different circumstances, but for now, this'll do."

"Yeah..." He said, no enthusiasm in his voice as he saw them disappear from sight.

He heard his name being called and figured it was the start of his match, he saw Luck and Puli from the corner of his eyes and tried to compose himself. Despite all this turmoil inside of him, and despite the fact that the image of Finral's broken body kept flashing in his head, he had to fight. But it just felt so wrong to go back to the tournament after what he'd just seen, but it wasn't like he ever had a choice.

He took a deep breathe, and pushed down the part of him that begged to be let out, to have enough air to gasp and breathe and sob the day away. He sharply turned on his heel and began marching towards the arena, the sound of his feet echoing in his chaotic mind. But the question still remained, why? Why did Langris need to hurt Finral? Why was it okay? Why hadn't he been able to do anything?

He stopped as he congregated with his team, refusing to even acknowledge this new emotion bubbling in his chest. It wasn't light or sweet, or a stranglehold of sudden admiration like any of the others. This one felt like tar, oozing and viscous, blocking the color that was there, running over it and hardening. It felt... cold and detached, like it had just given up. And so, with the tournament continuing on, and Finral severely injured, he was still left with the why's in his head. But he had an inkling that those answers might were much more complex and hidden than he would like to believe, he might never know them. But maybe that was something he had to accept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I projecting my own traumas about accepting my sexuality and the problems I faced onto my favorite character in order to work through them? Maybe. But, therapy: expensive, writing fanfic about a rarepair I created? Free.
> 
> Also I get to write a happy ending at some point, so-
> 
> I'm so sorry about the last chunk of the chapter but I was just so done with the tournament arc, and if I had to continue with it this chapter was not going to be done within the week. I also told myself I wasn't going to write more than 10,000 word chapters but here we are.


	4. The Dances of a Solitary Wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this and the chapter 7 were probably my favorite to write just because of emotional angst. Also, thank you all for so much support, I am seriously shocked at how many people like this!
> 
> My Tumblr is @innogens-breadsticks, where I just kinda do whatever, hit me up if you want!

The barest sliver of light peeked through the slats in the barren room, there were no signs of life except for the smallest of breathes coming from the figure on the bed. It was early in the morning, perhaps five -- no, four -- a.m., long before anyone else would consider getting up. But to the person laying down, who had not slept the entire night, it did not matter. No matter if it was light and burning with life, or dark and cold with the exhaustion of the sun, it just... felt the same to him.

It was closing up on a week since the tournament had ended, and it was almost time for the announcement of the Royal Knights. But such a thing seemed trivial in comparison to everything else, he could barely focus on it. Klaus knew that it was unhealthy to feel this detached, he'd finally achieved the coldness he'd always wanted, but there was never a more somber victory to him than this.

He had lost the second round of the tournament, he hadn't been surprised, he was so unfocused and the opponent had been a captain. But it was still another knife in his abdomen, albeit smaller and smoother, but still nestled next to his heart, along the larger, duller, and more serrated blades. He was a human pin cushion, and Life's giggling hand seemed to enjoy seeing how many painful things it could shove in him. And all he could do was bleed out, lay down and let the warmth seep away and leave nothing but a cold, lifeless husk.

He hadn't cried for Finral, a fact that surprised him, he had just assumed that would be the case. After all, when people usually see their friend get almost killed in front of them, they usually react like that. But he hadn't done that, he only felt ice slowly moving in his veins and settling in his heart, behind his blank eyes. Was he a monster, he wondered as he stared at the dark ceiling, was he really so horrible that he could feel nothing for Finral now?

But maybe that was good, he reasoned, if he felt nothing now, and if he could continue to feel nothing, his problems would be solved. This numbness, despite the fact it confirmed he was an awful person, could be a blessing in disguise. But how horrible was that, to be concerned about himself while Finral might never even wake up?

He swallowed and began to roll over, he had been kept up all night with the way his thoughts pinballed like that. They were just hitting the same points over and over, that he felt nothing, that he was awful for feeling nothing, that maybe it was also good to get rid of his emotions, that he was also awful for thinking of himself. It was on repeat, constantly.

He pushed himself up with stiff and practiced movements, slowly trying to get up for the day. He felt so, so dizzy, and... sick. He couldn't sleep anymore, and if he managed to, his dreams were haunted by the smell of mana and blood, and the feeling of guilt drowning him, holding him under and choking him under it's weight. Even as he put on his glasses, his vision was blurry and pounding.

He had hidden his glasses case, as soon as the tournament was over, he'd rushed to his room before Alecdora or anyone else could scold him. The feeling of the once beloved present in his hands had burnt them with shame, guilt, and anger, so he'd locked it in his desk. The callers had done the same, even the thought of them was enough to feel his throat seize up, but he couldn't part with them, he had promised Vanessa he'd hold onto Finral's, and he would. Even if the weight in his pockets seemed to want to pull him to the ground, to drag him to the floor and even further down.

He put on his usual uniform with little care, looking presentable had been pushed to the back of his mind lately. He adjusted the stiff collar, the damn thing just seemed to be choking him now. Lastly, he draped on the Golden Dawn robes, a rather familiar action. But it didn't feel the same, _nothing_ felt the same anymore.

The past week or so had been increasingly difficult, Yuno and Mimosa were stepping on eggshells around Klaus, something that both pained and annoyed him. But they hadn't been assigned any missions, their seniors had decided to let them stew, Klaus supposed it was punishment for him intervening with the Black Bulls. Not that he minded, he could barely scrape himself together enough to coherently speak to people, much less fight life or death battles and protect the kingdom.

But he was getting fed up, each dirty glance, each little whisper as he passed people in the halls, was a another drop in a lake being held back by the tiny dam of forced restraint he'd built. It was just unbelievably petty to try and punish someone for doing their job, which was to protect the citizens of the Clover Kingdom, disgraced Noble or not. Captain Vangeance was nowhere to be found anymore, and Klaus doubted that he would find out anyhow, and actually find a way to get through to the rest of the squad.

He had holed up in his room, only going out at the most inconvenient of hours for food so no one else would catch him. Although he felt Mimosa and Yuno catching on and trying to match his sleep schedule, which was impossible since he basically didn't have one. They really meant well, but he was... fine. Scatterbrained and unresponsive sometimes, but fine.

He opened his door and listened, there was nothing but the whistle of wind that would happen sometimes on cold mornings. It was early, and thus, no one was awake. Klaus took the opportunity to go to the dining hall, his brisk steps echoing more than usual in the empty maze.

He saw the doors to the dining hall down the hallway, and started walking towards them with a slow and measured pace. He only ate because he had to, he put no effort into making food, and now tended to grab a slice of bread and a glass of water and call it good. His hand rested on the door knob when he heard voices spilling out from under the crack. He immediately froze and pulled his hand back, they were a familiar pair of mismatched tones. His subordinates were in there, apparently having caught on to his plan and had decided to lay in wait.

"I can't help it, Yuno," A light one drifted out, probably belong to Mimosa, "I know that he cared a lot about Finral, it was rather obvious, but still... it's worrying. It's like there's no life in him anymore, I saw him the other day, and he was just... blank."

"But you still dragged me along, it's been hours and he hasn't shown up, he's probably still in his room." Then other one responded, most likely Yuno.

"Yuno, can you please, just, not? I'm actually worried about his health, he doesn't look like he's been getting any sleep, he hasn't left his room except for when absolutely necessary, nobody else has even spoken to him, and he's not even talking to us-" The voice stopped, it had started breaking on the last words and was now making small, choked up sounds.

Klaus stiffened, his eyes frozen on the ground. Mimosa was... crying? She very rarely cried outside of battle when one of her teammates would get hurt, but nothing like this. He started backing away from the door, he did it slowly as to not alert them of his presence.

There were some shuffling from behind the door and an extended pause afterwards. The small, but heartwrenching, noises had quieted and a large silence had been cast inside the room. Klaus stopped, he was too curious to leave now.

"Yuno, why would you..." Mimosa's voice started again, full of gentle surprise and curiosity.

"Don't read anything into it, it's just what I did back at the church to stop the kids from crying all the time." Yuno's voice replied, a hint of embarrassment in it.

"Who knew you gave such good hugs? You're probably a good big brother, aren't you?" Mimosa softly laughed, her tone less tense than before.

"Shut up." He said with no real venom. "Besides, how would it look if he came in here with you crying like that, anyways? He'd probably start freaking out over you."

"And a good little brother as well." She shot back, already back to her old self.

"Can't you come up with any other material?" Yuno's voice muttered, a little miffed at the words of his companion.

"Why would I need to when that one joke works so well?" She softly replied, a smile to her voice.

"It doesn't." He deadpanned, an obvious lie.

Klaus was still frozen in spot, his mind reeling from what he'd just heard. He forced himself to shake off the sudden strike of worry he'd felt for Mimosa, it had hit him in a way that seemed to chip at the numbing feeling in his veins. And he wasn't sure having an emotional revelation in front of his subrodinates was what he needed right now.

He harshly turned on his heel, and speed walked away to minimize the clicking sound his heels made on the stone ground. He tried to drown out Yuno and Mimosa's ongoing banter as they continued to wait for their senior, who was currently fleeing the area. After a few twists and turns, and a drawn out retracing of his steps, Klaus found himself on the outside of the Golden Dawn base.

The sun had risen more over the last twenty minutes, the grounds were brushed with an orange haze and spattered with untouched morning dew. It only accentuated the architectural beauty of the Golden Dawn base, the vast columns and arches made with white marble turning into soft glowing colors as the day started to go by. The forrest surrounding the area was beginning to fill with the buzz of awakening creatures and the silent rush of mana. The air was biting and lonely, finding it's way into Klaus' lungs and nestling there, making his breathing slightly painful but still bearable.

As he blew out, steam wafting away from his face, he began to shiver. Even under his robes he still felt that the world had yet to fully unfreeze from the nighttime's reign, the seasons were beginning to change and darkness seemed to grow longer each passing day. As much as he would usually enjoy continuing to watch the world wake up, he felt the panicked urge to leave the base for the first time all week.

As his mind flipped through possible places to visit and stay a while, just to figure things out, he had pulled out his grimoire and was calling out his transportation spell. He considered his usual training grounds but those would be one of the first places Mimosa and Yuno would look for him, and he... really needed time to himself. He needed to think about, well, everything. He continued thinking about places he could go to when it hit him, it was Saturday.

How could he forget, had he really been so distracted? He had stopped, a look of grief momentarily marring his stony expression, his hand frozen in front of him. Was this why he felt the unnaturally powerful urge to leave, because he subconsciously knew that it was that day? He shook his head, that was a foolish thought, a dangerous one at that. If he continued down this spiral back into emotion, he was unsure and... possibly scared, how he would be able to handle everything.

He flexed his fingers in an effort to steel himself once more, and concentrated again on summoning his spell. As more locations flipped through his muddled head, one in particular kept popping up. But he knew that it was a bad idea, if he could barely keep himself functioning when he was alone in his room, it would be a disaster to go somewhere so... meaningful.

But he couldn't think of anywhere else he wanted to visit and stay, and despite his own objections, he found himself longing for it. Perhaps the place had lived up to its silly name after all. A ghost of a smile dashed across his face before disappearing once again into the recesses of the tangled mass of throbbing guilt and emotion that was building.

With a call to his jumbled mana and the new determination that had set in, he was able to bring his chariot forth. A small wave of steam rolled off the magic creation, not an uncommon sight during cold mornings. Klaus quietly stepped on, still slightly hesitant about his improtu plan, but he glanced back at the base, where he knew Mimosa and Yuno were waiting for him.

The ice rivers in his veins were beginning to thaw and run once more, all things came to an end eventually, but they usually weren't so... painful. While a small part of him was relieved that his apathy towards the world was beginning to dissipate, a larger part was worried what that would mean. The inky and slumbering void had been a comfort, it was rather familiar to him, as it had been part of his adolescence.

He remembered that each day was a chore, study, train, study, train, rinse and repeat. There had been small comforts, the quiet servant woman who had given him the book, for instance, and the bird that would sit outside his window on summer mornings and look after it's young. He recalled sitting there for a long time when he was free to do as he pleased, he whispered his secrets to it from his place behind the window, and called it his friend. But they never lasted long, taken away by his own failures or tragic circumstances.

The woman, the one person he could say showed him kindness, killed by the failures of magic knights. As for the bird, he'd made the mistake of telling one of his older family members about it, an older cousin who he was trying to impress at the time, and the next day when he looked outside, he found that the branch had been ripped away by a moderately powerful spell. He had quickly learned to keep quiet after that, and had hidden his turmoil by one-upping his cousin during a practice match later that day, inuring him. He recalled the incessant wailing as the boy held his bloody arm, he hadn't moved to help his family member, and remembered coldly looking down, and telling him to keep quiet, because a noble shouldn't be so childish.

From that day on, he had kept to himself, no longer entertaining the idea of friendship or comraderie with other people. The next years fell into a spiral of emptiness, an absolute streak of nothing, he didn't feel human. He made movements like one, said the appropriate things and trained and acted as he should, but nothing felt real. Once he was away from his family, from the constant cycle of the abyss, feeling began to creep in once more, until he awoke one morning and found that he no longer wanted to avoid having to live.

So yes, the void was familiar, a part of him that he feared but at the same time, longed for. It scared him that he could do such things as scar his cousin and feel no immediate regret, it scared him that he didn't feel the need to emote after horrifying events. It wasn't normal, he was sure that it meant he was truly an awful person, that his happiness was undeserved and everyone he had come to care for would leave once they truly saw him.

And that was the truth he'd been so afraid to admit, if he let people too close, they'd leave. And perhaps that fear was validated by recent events, although Finral's... current state might not be directly Klaus' fault, it still fueled his irrational thinking. Now that Finral was gone, who'd be next? What other friends would leave, or be taken away? It was a dark coil at the core of his being, and it wasn't going to go away.

He was already hundreds of feet above the forrest, his mind distracted by trying to unravel the complicated workings of his emotional difficulties. Which he had, unsurprisingly, traced back to his childhood. He was starting to feel frustrated, the massive black hole in him was beginning to grow smaller from the the sudden pulses of anger.

Why was he like this? Why was everything just so, so... _complicated_? First, his beliefs are turned on their head and shattered, next, he gets so stupidly attached to his reckless squadmates, and he also has to deal with the burden of the Golden Dawn in general. But it's not just that, not for him, the Universe's favorite punching bag, he also has to deal with his own feelings.

Frankly if he met a clone of himself, he'd probably just try and kill him on the spot. That's how much he absolutely hated dealing with himself, he couldn't blame people for leaving, he'd want to leave himself given the chance. And he hated how self-pitying that was, shouldn't he take pride in himself, as a noble?

But what was there to take pride in? He'd always been told to be proud, that he was better than those below him, and he had accepted it. Such feelings had always seemed empty, hollow, but he was supposed to act that way, so what choice was there? And if he acted prideful, focusing on his supposed strongsuits, it was easier to live with the abyss. It grew, but it didn't consume him, it was a compromise he supposed.

But he'd ignored how he was supposed to behave, and that's why it felt so... messy. He let himself be happy, just for a little bit, but it was still too long. He disturbed the equilibrium, he had felt... normal, for once in his life, he had felt at _peace_. Yuno, Mimosa, and Asta, his friends had supported him, not for ulterior motives but because they cared. And Finral... Finral was entirely different story.

Where would he even begin to describe it, the impact that Finral had had on him? It started off as simple, awkward friendship, but they'd just clicked. And the months just seemed to slip by as they got closer and closer, until they talked every day, and Klaus felt _good_ about that. Life had been enjoyable, fun, even with everything else going wrong, Finral had felt right.

Looking back, it was really no surprise that his admiration and enjoyment of his friend's company had morphed into something more. That didn't mean it was entirely easy to understand, he knew of romantic interest but it'd always been so foreign to him. One of the first things people learned as nobles, is that relationships, especially romantic ones, were only to be used for gaining power. He always assumed he'd be matched up with some random woman from another Noble family, have a cordial, formal, but necessary marriage and produce heirs. That was expected from all Nobles, and he was no exception.

The very idea of marrying for love was mocked as foolish, as something only peasants did. There were a few instances where this was untrue, when some Noble couples seemed to genuinely care for and respect each other, but that was rare. Arranged marriages were the norm for powerful families, and that was a fact of life.

But this, what he felt, was exactly what he'd been told not to expect. Especially for... him. Finral was many things that Nobles hated, honest, kind, and compassionate with a streak of cowardice, but the biggest flaw was that Finral was, well, a guy. That in itself was another matter that Klaus had no time, nor energy, to dissect and examine for himself.

He remembered vaguely learning about the laws of the kingdom, especially the ones pertaining to the Magic Knight's, and happening across an old paragraph that forbade the existence of relationships involving two people of the same gender. He had been puzzled as an adolescent, but he'd long since learned to not question the traditions of the Clover Kingdom. Besides, he thought while turning the page, it's not like it even applies to me.

Now he wished he'd paid more attention, or at least figured out why such a law was implemented. As much as he tried to think about it now, he could come up with no logical explanation. Not that he was feeling very logical at the moment, what with the whole emotional breakdown and everything. He perked up as he sensed a change in the mana of his spell, it seemed he'd been thinking for longer than he expected.

He felt his chariot getting closer to the desired location, the surroundings painted a very familiar picture for him, one that seemed to comfort him. Which was almost funny, comfort for himself should be the last thing on his mind, but he seemed to be getting more and more selfish as time went on. He shook off his thoughts, trying to pull himself out of the distracted mental state he'd fallen into.

He concentrated as he descended, feeling the wind whip harshly around his body. It warmed up since earlier, the sun was now partially above the horizon, but it still nipped at his skin. He squinted as the cold air managed to get behind his glasses, even those offered no protection to his face.

He finally felt himself touch down on the ground, and with a relieved sigh, he let the mana making up the spell dissipate back into the area. The wind was no longer as harsh, it was still horribly cold, but at least it didn't feel like icicles being stabbed in him anymore. He still felt the need to pull his robe closer to his body as he began to walk down the street, the skin on his hands starting to feel chapped.

It was still early morning, and no one besides the people who ran their business' were up. Lanterns were dimly lit on the stone street for them, some store fronts were fully lit, with a sparse amount of people inside, cleaning and cooking food. Despite the fact that he was a Magic Knight, one from the most successful squad no less, no one paid him any attention. It was six in the morning on a Saturday, no one cared enough to focus on the details.

To be fair, Klaus was relieved that everyone would simply glance at him, shrug, and go back to their jobs, it took a lot of stress off. He continued walking down the street and turning corners, watching the day slowly move on as people opened shutters and cleaned glass in the low light. It was a quiet and shared moment across the city, before the streets were filled by bustling families and hurried people.

He turned the last corner, his head pounding in sync with his heart. This is a horrible idea, he reminded himself, why are you even here? He kept his eyes on the road until he almost walked past the small shop, slowly and steadily, he raised his head to look at the sign. It was already weathered, and the paint was starting to chip away, it had only been six months or so since it was unveiled. It was still legible, and the words, painted in cursive white, were still as familiar as ever. _Home's Taste_, a pseudo-saccharine name, but it struck up a whirlwind of emotion despite it's cheesiness.

He was suddenly left unsure of whether he should continue with his poorly thought out plan, he hadn't come up with anything other than getting here, and how was he even going to explain, well, everything? He was still staring at it, his arms wrapped completely around his chest, when he felt the urge to leave. It was cowardly of him to back out when he had just run away to come here, but everything seemed to be spinning out of his control and he just kept managing to make the absolute worst decisions.

He squeezed his arms, a way to steel himself and to warm his hands up, and looked down guiltily. He couldn't do it, he just couldn't. His face twisted in an unpleasant manner, he felt so _angry_, at himself, at his actions, hell, he felt mad about the whole world. This shift from feeling like an endless abyss to burning, enveloping flames with thick, choking smoke felt unnatural. He needed to sort himself out.

He wrenched his head to the side and turned on his heel to leave, hell bent on not focusing on his cowardice. Wasn't he just pathetic? He was drowning, he was drowning in an ocean of confusing and terrifying feelings and he'd thrown back all the life jackets that had been offered and told the boats to sail past and ignore him. He was a fool, he'd always been one and that was the one thing that never seemed to change.

"Klaus?" A voice called from behind him, stopping him in his tracks.

He turned and was surprised to find Ira, she was holding a bucket with a rag flopping out of it, her long hair loosely tied back instead of in her usual tight bun. It seemed she had come outside to wash the windows, which seemed odd as they were practically sparkling. She had a curious and cautious stance, both worried about Klaus and her own safety.

"Hello, Ira. I," he paused, how the hell was he going to explain, well, everything? He still had a distressed look on his face, and his voice was cracking, this couldn't get any worse. "I... I needed to-"

"Whoa, hey, are you okay?" She interrupted, completely forging her own concerns. She put the bucket down as she asked, and began to step towards him.

"I, huh?" He stuttered, feeling his throat seize up.

There was a large and painful lump in his chest, and it hasn't been there before. But his vision was blurry, which was odd because he had his glasses on. He lifted his hand up to check if they were, and felt the chunky frames under his hand, but his fingertips brushed against something wet on his cheek. He pulled his hand away, and it was then that he noticed tears were rolling down his face.

He was still staring at his hand in shock when Ira was next to him, she pulled off her cloak and quickly wrapped it around him. She wrapped her arm around him and started moving his despondent body towards the building. She led him inside, it was warmer there, and he was shivering but he didn't think it was entirely from the cold.

The door closed with a slam behind him, drawing the attention of the other staff. Chairs were still stacked on tables, so the space looked more open than usual. Mila was standing in the middle, holding a broom while a dustpan lay next to her on the floor. She was working hard when she looked up, confused as to why Ira had come back in so soon.

"Not even the great Ira could hack the cold, huh?" Jax's voice snarkily rung out from under the counter, he'd been stuck with cleaning under it.

"Shut up, Jax, go get me some tea, alright?!" Ira snapped, pulling down the closest chair and putting it at a table.

Mila quickly set her broom aside, letting it lean on a nearby table, before rushing over. There were a million questions on her mind, but she kept her mouth shut and looked at Ira for orders. Ira was pushing Klaus into the seat, her robe still draped on him.

"What the hell is your-" Jax spit back, pulling himself over and up the counter, his mouth stopped when he saw what was going on, "What's he doing here already?"

"I don't know, Jax, he was just standing out there when I saw him. Now, go get me that tea!" She called out, her tone getting increasingly more frustrated.

"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses." He muttered, running into the kitchen where Margot was heating up water and making pastries for the day.

"Mila, can you go get that bucket I left out there? I don't want it to be stolen." Ira muttered, taking down another chair to set at the table Klaus was at.

He was still shocked, had he really just... done that? He barely even registered the change in location, although he was aware of how warm it was now. He'd been stressing over his lack of... reaction to the situation he'd found himself in with Finral, and yet, this happened? He had been crying, no doubt about it, but right there, at that moment? It was like his body purposely chose the worst moments to openly emote, his eyes were still watering and his tear tracts were probably very visible, he blankly thought.

As he blinked away the rest of his bluriness, he become fully cognizant of his position in the café. Ira was wiping down the table in front of him, muttering to herself about something or other. He also heard Jax's loud complaints from the kitchen while Margot lightly chastised him. His attention was drawn away from those details as the door slammed shut once more, he turned and saw Mila lugging the bucket Ira was going to use inside.

He saw that he'd been covered with someone's robe and felt shame, he'd been so weak as to show emotion to someone, and he had taken their cloak. He tried to push his chair away from the table to leave, but found that it wouldn't move. He heard a slight cough behind him, he turned and was surprised to find Mila there, holding his chair in place with one hand.

He sighed as Ira finished wiping off the table, and put the rag in the pocket of her apron, she turned to him and noticed he seemed to be aware again. She let out a small breathe, relieved that he seemed to be fully conscious. At that moment, Jax came meandering out of the kitchen, carrying cups and a steaming tea pot.

He laid out the cups on the table, there were five to be precise, and began lazily pouring the steaming drink into them. Klaus noticed that Mila had left her spot behind him and was now grabbing chairs to place at the table, arranging them as to fit everyone. After another minute of hustled whispering and moving, Margot had come out of the kitchen, confused as to why she'd been called away from her duties by her employees.

Ira gestured for her to sit down as the rest of them took their spots, the were arranged in a semi-circle on one side, with Klaus on the other. He was unsure about what they wanted to accomplish with this arrangement and found that while he'd been thinking, the room had gone silent. They were staring at him, waiting for him to talk. He let his gaze drift downwards, towards the cup in his hands, and refused to meet their gaze.

"Okay, if you're not gonna go first, I will." Jax butted in, "Why the hell did Ira drag you inside? And what're you doing here at the ass crack of dawn?"

Margot put her head in her hands and muttered something unintelligible as Ira turned to scold him, "There's this thing called tact? Maybe you've heard of it."

"Well no one else was going to say anything, what else was I supposed to do?" Jax muttered defensively.

"You could've just asked me, idiot." Ira sighed, leaning back in her chair and preparing an explanation, "I was outside, and I was about to clean the window when I saw him. He looked like he was rushing to leave, so I called out to see if it was him. He turned around and then I saw that he was, you know, crying. And that's how we ended up here. Now, Klaus, can you please explain why you were here, and why you're so upset?"

Klaus stiffened, his body was shaking, but he refused to believe it was anything other than the cold. He gripped his cup of tea tighter and twisted his face to try and make it neutral. It didn't work.

"I..." He started before stopping, he thought for a moment and took a deep breathe before continuing, "Have any of you heard about Finral?"

The four of them turned to look at each other, after a second or so they turned back to Klaus and shook their heads in various manners. Jax shrugged his shoulders while Mila gave a curt no with her head.

"No, we haven't." Ira said, starting to feel concerned, "Why, what happened?"

"He... got hurt. Really badly. No one's really sure if he'll wake up anytime soon, or.. even if he'll wake up at all." He said, trying to keep the emotion in his voice at a minimum.

"Oh my god." Ira said, her hand covering her mouth. The others seemed just as shocked, Jax was stunned into silence while Mila's eyes went large and her mouth hung open. Margot was silent, her eyes and expression seemed contemplative.

"How... what happened?" Mila asked, her voice soft.

"There... was a tournament, it was supposed to be a way to test everyone's teamwork and battle skills but... it got taken too far. And Finral..." He found that he was unable to continue speaking, if he did, he wasn't sure he'd be able to remain composed.

"Where is he?" Jax asked, his voice unusually serious.

"The last I heard, the medical tower in the Clover Castle, but I don't know for certain." Klaus said, his hands pulling tight on his trousers.

"What do you mean 'I don't know for certain', aren't you his friend?" Jax harshly replied, his face tight and angry.

"I..." Klaus couldn't respond, Jax was right, he hadn't even visited Finral yet. How could he claim to care about him and yet be too scared to even see him again?

"Jax. Shut up." Ira slowly said, her tone deathly intense and her eyes burning with quiet rage.

"Well, I'm right, aren't I?" He replied, his voice like thorns, sharp and stinging.

"Just because you're hurting doesn't mean you get to take it out on someone else." Mila said, cutting off her co-worker.

"Stop it, he's right. I... haven't even visited him." Klaus admitted, his voice catching on the last few words.

Ira and Mila, who had been glaring at Jax, turned to Klaus with surprise on their faces. They hesitated, glancing at each other, but let their positions relax from aggressive to passive. Jax hinted at no change, he was staring at the ground with a look intense enough to kill.

"But why?" Mila asked, forgoing her usual composure for curiosity, "You two are here every week, aren't you... close?"

"I... I just can't. I know that's stupid and selfish, but every time I think about it, I freeze up. I mean, my Vice Captain is the one who hurt him, so what right do I have to go see him? He should be with his squad, the ones who've been there for him for years, he's only known me for six months, at most." He responded, still looking down at the table.

"Klaus, and I mean this with all due respect, you are probably one of the most unobservant people I've ever met in my life." Ira interrupted, her hands clasped together in front of her mouth.

"Huh?" Slipped out of his mouth before he could form a better response.

"You obviously haven't seen how much you matter to him," Mila said, continuing her colleague's point, "his squad must be important, I'm sure, but so are you."

"I-I don't-" He sputtered, his mind shorting out.

"How about this," Margot said, snapping her fingers to signal her sudden bolt of inspiration, "Ira and Mila can accompany you to visit him, please take all the pastries you want, and Jax and I will stay here."

"What? Why me?" Jax protested, his voice back to it's normal whining range.

"I need help keeping things running, you can't expect me to do it all by myself, I'm very old after all." Margot responded, pressing all the right buttons to wind the boy down.

"You're not _that_ old..." Jax spit out under his breathe, but silently agreed all the same.

Klaus was stunned into silence, he'd come here on a mere whim, he hadn't even planned on what he'd do next, but they still... He didn't bother finishing the thought as a rare feeling of warmth bloomed, surprising him. He felt the need to touch his chest, to make sure that his heart was working. It was silly, he knew that much, but it truly felt like a hole had been there and the rhythmic beat was a small comfort.

He was still sitting down, a small look of befuddled happiness on his face, as Ira and Mila silently got up from their seats. He finally noticed that everyone had dispersed when Margot gently tapped him on the shoulder, a concerned look in her eyes. Ira was waiting by the door, tapping her foot anxiously, Jax and Mila were presumably in the kitchen as they were nowhere to be seen.

"You holding up okay?" She said, her smile tight with hidden emotion.

"I don't really know." Klaus softly replied, being honest with her. "I can't even tell what I'm feeling half the time."

"Ah, well that's alright too." She said with patient kindness, "Everyone has different ways of coping, no one person is going to be the same. Some can get angry to the point of violence, some get so sad they can barely move or eat, it all depends on the person."

"What... what about if they can't feel anything? What about if they feel numb, like nothing is actually real?" He asked, refusing to meet her stare, his hands involuntarily gripping the chair.

"So that's what's eating you?" She asked, gently prodding him. He didn't answer. "That's also normal for some, it can just take a little longer to process some things, so your head just takes a break."

"But I haven't visited him, and today was the first time I even... felt _something_ about what happened, that's not normal." He spoke with quiet desperation, "That's horrible, it's awful."

"If you truly didn't feel anything, you wouldn't be acting like this." She replied, gently touching his shoulder, "You wouldn't be feeling the guilt that you do, the sadness, the rage."

"But I... I...," He tried to explain just how he felt, how he knew that he was a bad person, but it just wouldn't form into words.

"Just because it took a while for you to figure out your emotions, doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you human." She resolved, a calming presence to her.

"You're not understanding what I'm saying," He spoke, his voice betraying his frustration with the situation, "feeling so... empty isn't normal. I hurt people when I'm like this, just like... Langris."

That was it, that's what he was so afraid of. Being like his Vice Captain, so immature and cruel to the point of apathy towards suffering, towards hurting people with no remorse. The thought he was like that had been driving him away from Finral, and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

Although the incident with his cousin was nowhere as comparable as with what had happened to Finral, they were similar in certain aspects. An injured younger party found themselves seaking to hurt the other with no remorse for the pain they'd caused. But still... Klaus didn't want to be like Langris, to be so hung up on Noble standards, on the approval of a cold and unforgiving family. But he always found himself feeling that way, so what did that say about him?

"Langris?" Margot repeated, confused at the mention of the unfamiliar name.

"He's... Finral's brother." He hesitated before continuing, "He's also the one who almost killed him."

"Oh..." She said, letting the realization wash over her before speaking, "That's... why would you say you're like him?"

"He... felt no remorse, he felt _nothing_ when he hurt Finral. In fact, he didn't even understand why people were objecting to him trying to _murder_ his own brother. And... I've done something like that before, I've hurt someone and felt no guilt. And Langris is the Vice Captain of my squad, how can I not feel like like, well, a monster?" Klaus finally muttered, his head hung low.

"I think you're many things," Margot said after a brief pause to contemplate her words, "but a monster isn't one of them. I've seen the way you hold yourself, the way you care about others, especially Finral. You have... problems, and they won't be resolved without work and support, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. I think the more you can be honest with yourself and others, the more you'll find that other people feel the same way."

Maybe he wasn't drowning in an endless ocean, it seemed more like a lake now. Not quite as endless, as deep, still treacherous and dangerous, but not unmanageable. It wouldn't ever fully go away, but he could do more to stop himself from going under, from succumbing to the enticing depths. Although under the water, he felt nothing, and saw the world through a hazy wall, which sometimes seemed like a good option compared to reality, it wasn't good to keep himself under there. If he stayed too long, he'd drown under the weight, lose the air in his lungs and body, and be stuck forever. It was a struggle to tread at the surface, but he could have help, he didn't have to do it alone.

"Thank you, Margot." He softly said, trying to keep it together, "I'm sorry for dumping all this on you, it really was selfish of me."

"Stop that, you know you've been my favorite customer for a while. And it's not a problem, I'm just happy you actually looked for help instead of trying to keep it all to yourself. You look like the type to internalize everything." She said, stepping back to let Klaus stand up.

"You are... astute." Klaus settled on, trying not to let offension slip onto his face.

He stood up and pushed his chair in, catching the attention of the girl at the door. She had been zoning out during their conversation, so she had heard almost none of it, only a small portion. But she also figured it wasn't really her business, and continued to say nothing as she waited for her co-worker to grab the pastries.

Margot gave one last comforting squeeze before taking her hand off of his shoulder and moving towards the kitchen, to presumably help Jax as his sudden stream of swearing reached their ears. A few seconds later Mila rushed out with a large basket of various scones, cookies, and types of bread. She had grabbed her cloak from the hanger on the wall and hurriedly put it on.

Klaus followed after her as she walked out the door, also trailed by Ira, who had taken Jax's coat to combat the cold. He was still wearing Ira's cloak, much to his own chagrin, as he hadn't the foresight to bring more weather appropriate clothes when leaving the base. He pulled the unfamiliar item tighter around himself as he got hit in the face with wind that had picked up while he'd been inside.

Soon they were walking down the street together, the silence and awkwardness was almost as unbearable as the cold. More people were out, as the capital was beginning to wake up, but nobody noticed the somber trio. Mila was in the lead, as she apparently already knew the way to the Clover Castle, which was a small surprise to the rest of them.

Ira was walking in step with the boy next to her, she was starting to get annoyed with the tense silence, she didn't know if it was directed at herself or at someone else. She slowed her pace a bit while walking at an angle in order to close the distance between her and Klaus, he unconsciously slowed down his speed as well, and soon they were a good distance behind Mila. He didn't notice until a minute later and he turned to Ira with an obvious question in his eyes.

"I... just want to see if you were alright." Ira said before he could speak.

"I'm fine." Klaus responded, ignoring the fact she was the one who caught him crying.

"Don't pull that shit, you poured your heart out five minutes ago, you don't have the luxury to lie to me." She snapped with a brutish tone, "Tell me the truth, how are you doing?"

"Not great." He replied, refusing to say more than that.

"Figures. Are you sure you're ready to see Finral?" She asked, beginning to talk at a faster pace, "I mean if I saw the person I was in a relationship with get brutually injured, I wouldn't be in a good place either-"

"Huh? What, no, we're not- he's-" Klaus said, turning to Ira with a look of confusion.

"Wait, so you two weren't-" Ira replied, surprise on her face.

"No! Why would you even think that?" He said, starting to sound desperate.

"Oh, I don't know, you went out together every week, he apparently brought you to some ruins that you loved, and you give each other gifts _all the time_!" She shot back, defending her position.

"That's completely normal!" He responded, his voice rising several octaves as his hand pushed up his glasses in an exaggerated motion.

"Okay, how about the fact you look at each other like the other one hung the moon, that's not quite platonic. And you do know that, traditionally, a pair of matching callers is reserved for long term relationships?" She finished, cocking her eyebrow.

"No! What kind of tradition is that anyways!?" He sputtered.

"It's been a part of my town for centuries! How do you, the _smart_ one, not know that?" She replied, her demeanor simmering down from earlier.

"Have you ever considered that it's just regional? And who knows, I'm a Noble, and it might just be a commoner tradition!" He sighed, also giving himself a moment to calm down.

"You're really pulling the Noble card, right now?" Ira groaned, her forehead in her hand.

"What do you mean the 'Noble card'? I just wasn't aware of the connotation that apparently came with callers!" He explained as his voice started rising once more.

"It is so completely obvious you're smitten with each other, can you blame me for thinking you two were dating?!" She stage whispered as people were starting to turn their heads towards the arguing pair.

"Well, we're not!" Klaus finally replied with, "And it's not like we'd actually be able to if he even felt the same way!"

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about?" Ira questioned.

"You know, the law that says two magic knights of the same gender can't have a relationship? The one that's been around for ages?" He said, talking slower as her face twisted more with confusion.

"No? I've never heard of that, why would it even be a big deal?" She asked, befuddled by such a strange thing, "It's completely normal everywhere else, why not here?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, his curiosity peaked by her words.

"I mean, I've been dating another girl for forever, and it's not a secret or anything. No one cares where I'm from, but here it's... bad? Apparently? I only came to the capital to work and save up for a house, but it's been... less than ideal when we go out together." She explained, her face twisting as details were explained. "Listen, I'm from a perfectly average part of the Kingdom, and I've traveled around a bit, and no one actually cared about my girlfriend, except for... here, with the Nobles and the Royalty."

"Is that so." He said, absorbing the information he'd just learned. "I was always told it wasn't right, it was sinful, unnatural, an insult to our creator. But it doesn't really feel that way, I just want to see him happy, and... that doesn't sound selfish, or awful. Is it really just here, with the Nobles?"

"As far as I can tell. You really are in a pickle, I don't envy your situation at all, but let me tell you this. Some people will never be able to mind their own business, but find good friends that won't let them butt into yours." She said, a small smile finding it's way to her mouth, "Those kids you two are always talking about, they seem like they'd support you."

"Don't get ahead of yourself." He snapped, "I'm not telling them, besides, you're talking like Finral feels the same way."

"Doesn't he?" She asked, a playful glint in her eye.

"Shut up." He replied, "Why are we even talking about something this foolish when Finral might not even wake up?!"

"He will." She said, starting to pick up her pace when she saw that Mila was blocks ahead of them. "As much of a goofball as he is, he has some well hidden strength."

"Nonetheless, I don't want to continue discussing this when we're about to see him." He responded, also beginning to speed up.

"Fair point, I'll respect your decision." She replied, turning away, "But... if you ever wanna talk, you know, if you don't wanna tell your friends just yet, I'd be willing to listen."

"I..." He bit back an automatic 'no' and thought of Margot's earlier words, about being honest and accepting help, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good. Now let's catch up before Mila notices we're gone, we're almost there anyways." She said, pointing to the looming building ahead.

They both broke into a sprint, quickly trying to close the distance without doing it too loudly, which proved to be a challenge for Klaus and his heeled boots. But soon enough, they had both fallen behind Mila, who was too distracted to notice that they were both panting. The running had gotten their blood pumping, and they felt more immune to the cold than before, but it was still unpleasant.

They realized that they had come to a gate, the medical tower was very much still a part of the Clover Castle, so it tended to be heavily guarded. The guards in question seemed to be hostile towards the appearance of the trio, not breaking eye contact as they reached for their grimoires as a warning. Mila and Ira began to step back, unsure if they should continue or not.

Klaus took a breathe and stepped forward, unflinching as the guards grew tense, he pulled off the cloak he was wearing and revealed the uniform beneath it. The guards stopped and stared for a second, assessing to to see if it was real, after a moment of inspection, they relaxed. He explained that they were there visiting the injured spatial mage, and that he'd brought along company to do so as well. The accepted the explanation and let them through, directing him for me exact room Finral was in.

They entered through the gate, which led to the courtyard that the tower was located in. The guards inside the area looked over them and made no moves to stop them as they walked towards the tower, determined to enter it. It took a brief moment to open the door to it, as it was made of rather old and heavy wood, not practical in the slightest but such were the ways of luxury.

The tower itself was a large behemoth of a building, with a small wing connecting it to the main part of the castle. The spiral staircase inside seemed to wind up forever, rooms were scattered within it's walls, and Finral was in one of the top ones. Ira and Mila almost let a groan escape their mouths, they weren't used to physical activity. Klaus on the other hand, was apprehensive for much different reasons, and found that his foot was made of lead when he tried to lift it.

Could he really do this? Or was he just going to run away and abandon all the progress he'd just made, however small it was? He was in the lake, slipping just beneath the surface, water filling his ears and covering his eyes, distancing him from the surface as the murky depths continued to draw him in. He felt himself going down, spiraling back into that familiar nothingness.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and another being thrust under the surface, it's palm open and waiting. In an instant he took it, it was painful to fight but it was better than drowning forever. He turned his head and saw that Ira was there, pulling him up the stairs by the fabric of his uniform. She was shockingly strong when she wanted to be, and with surprise, he noticed his body had gone on autopilot, and was moving up with her.

"Let's see," Ira muttered, craning her head around the staircase to look for Finral's room, "he said the fifth floor, right?"

"He did, but I think it's another flight up." Mila replied from her position above them, her finger pointed towards the sky.

"Oh Jesus, I don't have the knees for this." Ira sighed, looking at the ground, "Come on, big guy, I can't keep this up forever."

"Right, sorry." He said, trying to pull himself away from her, a little unsteady on his feet.

"Good," She said, taking another step up before pausing , "are you sure you want to do this?"

"Well, I'm already here, aren't I?" He softly replied, walking past her.

"I guess so." She shrugged, rushing to keep up with the two people in front of her.

They soon came to the room that they had been directed to, and were right in front of the door, waiting for one of them to open it. It was an awkward moment as Klaus' trembling hand reached towards the handle before stopping and wrapping in on itself. Mila gently coughed to remind him that other people were waiting and that seemed to do the trick, he shook his head and grasped the handle with all the courage he could muster.

He pushed open the door, while simultaneously pushing down the sudden swell of fear, and merely stood there as the room was revealed to him. It was naturally lit during the day, awash with the comforting aura of nature. Of course, his attention was immediately drawn to the bed, it seemed rather cheap for castle standards, but he hadn't time to be concerned about that.

There wasn't a nurse in the room, although they'd passed one or two on the way to their location. Mila came up behind Klaus to set the basket of warm pastries on a table, with a note that it was for Finral and his friends. Ira stepped out from behind the man to get a better view, Klaus' frame had been blocking her view.

She saw Finral laying on the bed and felt her mouth go dry, it had suddenly become hard to swallow. She wasn't exactly close with him, but she'd seen him every week for months, and polite conversation had soon turned friendly and open. She was used to seeing him lively, usually teasing his friend or excitedly talking about something. Not at all like he was now, wrapped in bandages and unmoving.

Klaus was pleasantly surprised to see that Finral was no longer deathly pale or marred by the injuries Langris had given him. He was still wrapped in a great amount of bandages, but it didn't look like he'd bled through any of them, a welcome sign of stability. The small nightstand in the corner had a vase with several well-kept and recent flower clippings, probably one of the Black Bulls he reasoned.

Ira lightly pushed him forward, sending him stumbling a few steps. He whipped around and glared at her for a brief moment before taking the hint and going to Finral's side. She shook her head and stepped over to her companion, who was busy trying to come up with the perfect way to arrange a basket.

Klaus swallowed as he approached the injured party, a whirlwind of new emotions finding their way to him. He looked... peaceful, surprisingly. He'd almost been killed by his psychotic brother, but it was if he'd taken a long nap instead, and was waiting to be awoken. If it wasn't for the wounds wrapped by bandages, Klaus would've thought that he was just sleeping.

"Hi," he said, suddenly feeling very foolish for trying to talk to someone in coma, but found himself continuing anyhow, "I know I haven't visited, I really do apologize for it. You don't deserve that.

There was no response except for the breeze whistling through the open window.

"I... haven't done that much while you've been gone. For the past week it's been the silent treatment at my base, but that tracks, doesn't it? But Mimosa and Yuno have been worried," he said, thinking back to earlier that day, "I'm going to have to apologize to them later, they didn't deserve me just ignoring them. I can't believe I was too afraid to talk to them, isn't that funny? Me? Afraid of teenagers?"

The bed was still silent.

"You'd usually tease me by that point, or try and comfort me by saying that they'd forgive me." He dryly chuckled, he stopped as a sullen look settled itself on his face, "It's Saturday today. At this point, I'd be up and training, telling myself that today's just the same as any other, a complete lie, of course. It's only been a week, and I already miss it."

The breeze stopped.

"I don't just miss the café, I miss talking every night, I miss laughing so hard I almost fall over, I miss bouncing ridiculous ideas and theories off of each other, I miss hearing about Asta and the other Black Bulls. I miss _you_." He whispered, his arms wrapped around himself, "Which is absolutely foolish, I shouldn't be doing that as a magic knight, or a Noble."

The room was silent except for the sound of breathing.

"But maybe it isn't so bad to foolish once in a while, right?" He asked, knowing there'd be no answer, "I'm sure you'd understand that, being a fellow Nobleman and all. Which is a reason to wake up, you told Vanessa you'd explain it to me."

The subject of waking up seemed to strike a nerve in him.

"Not only that, you have so many other things to do. You still need to show everyone how hard you've worked, how much you've grown. Everyone's waiting for you, so you need to hurry, you know patience isn't a Black Bull quality." He looked down at the floor before adding in a strangled voice, "...and you promised to take me back to that old settlement, I'm going to hold you to that."

His voice softly died out on the stone tiles.

"You better come back, for Asta, Vannessa, Noelle, and the rest of the Black Bulls. What the hell are they going to do witbout you there? You're their friend, and you really should've seen how they fought for you. For all the times you've groaned about them not caring about you, they sure showed it. They... need you, more than I do." He muttered, finally looking at Finral's face. "So wake up, for the people who are here for you, who treasure your kindness, don't let Langris be the one who ends your story."

He finished the emotional monologue with a look of quiet determination, after a small moment yo gather himself, he turned away from the bed. He walked past Ira and Mila, who were still silent, they let him pass by with no objections. They wanted to stay and visit Finral on their own anyhow, besides, Klaus seemed like he had his mind set on something.

He continued down the stairs of the tower, no longer feeling the raging storm that kicked up inside of him, with a mission in his head. He was going to apologize to Yuno and Mimosa for worrying them, he was supposed to set an example and he failed. But he'd do better, be better, not just for them, but for himself. Not for his family who never cared enough to contact him, not for the impossible standards of his squad, but for the people who mattered to him.

He burst his way out of the tower, rushed but not running. His mind replayed the vents of the day, and for once, he didn't mind it. The world seemed less dark, and the feeling of life had been put back into him, it was crazy and mixed up, but not entirely awful. It was there at least, he could be happy with that much.

He wasn't alone, not in the way he thought he was. He had people there for him, something he hadn't seen or felt in his entire life, finally, something like a... family. Well, perhaps 'family' was too strong for a feeling so new to him, but... friends. Friends was a good word, a good place to start. He had friends.

And as silly as it was to realize that at his age, he couldn't help but be shocked by it. So many people had gone out of their way to help him because they _cared_, and he'd been surprised every single time. He wanted to show them that their efforts wouldn't be in vain, he'd work hard to accomplish his goals and better the Clover Kingdom.

And the first step towards doing that was the Royal Knights, the results were supposed to come out today and he would be on that list, he could feel it. He'd help work with everyone to defeat the Eye of the Midnight Sun, fight with them and be on equal footing. He was determined to do so, and afterwards, he'd visit Finral more. He wanted to be there when he woke up, he wanted to encourage his friend like his friend had encouraged him.

He was going to be a better person, he still had a lot of growing to do, but he'd do it. He would work past his flaws, and help everyone. For once, he thought as the rising sunlight hit his eyes, he'd be worthy enough to stand alongside everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this came out so late, AP classes are kicking my ass, and so did the PSAT. Also I'm probably going to be getting a job, so updates will be more stretched out, I'm so sorry. On the bright side, money means more supporting Black Clover so-
> 
> Also, did I need to make Ira a lesbian? No. But wlw and mlm solidarity is everything, and I really wanted to explore the topic of sexuality in a world like Black Clover from another perspective.
> 
> As for the characterization of Klaus this chapter, I kinda based it off my own experiences with trauma and grief. So many traumatizing things happen in Black Clover but no one talks about it? Ever? Like if I saw my friend get fucking schwacked that hard in front of me, I'd have some long lasting issues.


	5. Light of the Hidden Tunnel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update, but end of semester stress hit, along with a bout of "no motivation"! I've also been experimenting with fanart and it's fucking _stressful_. Please enjoy!

The day was shining with an overdue sense of life, the night had lasted longer than usual and as such, had sapped the spirits of those who had witnessed it. The air was still bitter and biting, jealous of the warmth that living things had and seemed hell bent on taking it for itself. But there was still a sense of openess, of rebirth, or maybe that was just in his own mind.

Klaus was still traveling back to his base, motivated by the events of the morning and his newfound realizations of friendship. He was rehearsing what he was going to say in his head, trying to find the most earnest and heartfelt way to apologize to Yuno and Mimosa. This wasn't to say he had automatically put together the puzzle of his mental state, but he'd found the border of it, at least, and was slowly trying to fit it all together. He found that those two kids were a big part of it, they were the people he was closest to, next to Finral, of course.

But they cared about him, in their... own separate ways. Mimosa teased and threw thinly veiled insults, but was observant and knew when to stop, she cared about him enough to respect most of his boundaries. Yuno was... cold, irritating, and distant, however, he had proved himself to be reliable and kind-hearted through his actions.

Those two were little shits when they wanted to be, and they did give him a lot of trouble, but it was worth it. When it came down to it, they were ready to support and help him, even when he'd done what amounted to nothing in return. He really wanted to trust them, he knew that of all the people he could share his feelings with, that they were the ones he wanted to talk to first. But he couldn't do that yet, he knew he had to do it as his own pace, but resolved himself to tell them at one point. Possibly even about his feelings towards Finral.

Klaus knew that Yuno and Mimosa would most likely be thrown for a bit, but would ultimately come around and support him. But the tiniest sliver of irrational thought stirred up dread when it came to opening his mouth, he'd never be able to bring himself to tell them in his current state. Mimosa had never really been one for following all the social and political rules that came with her social status, and Yuno supported and worked towards the goal of a kingdom with no discrimination, to help the people he called his friends, so it's not like they would care about this new part of him.

The battered and trained part of his mind, the one that still blindly followed the lessons and rules from his childhood, still whispered that they'd hate him. That they'd leave him, because he wasn't right, because his interest in Finral was _wrong_. He was terrified, and with everything else going on, he'd have to save that particular conversation and probelm for a later time.

He was lost in his thoughts as he drew ever closer to the base, he seemed to do that more and more as time went on. Luckily, his distraction didn't last for too long and he soon shook himself out of his trance and focused on setting down. It was lighter, everything was still tinged with an orange tint, but the sun was completely above the horizon and the moon was no longer visible as a source of soft light.

He'd only been gone for an hour or so, hopefully Mimosa and Yuno hadn't waited for him the entire time, but something told him that they probably had. A small amount of guilt welled up in him, they'd probably been up the entire night waiting for him. Which was foolish on their part, the Royal Knights announcement would be coming soon and they'd be woefully sleep deprived for such an important event.

Thoughts were bouncing around in his head as he set down outside the building, in front of the enormous columns and marble carved arches. It was still early morning but slightly more reasonable than earlier, which meant there were probably a few squadmates who were up and about. He tried not to let the thought of disgusted stares and muffled gossip take up too much space in his already crammed head.

He let the mana of spell dissipate, pulling back into his decently sized reserve, it felt more natural now, less jumbled. He'd always heard that the state of someone's mana could be a sign of their emotional state or personality, but he always took it with a grain of salt. Now he was a bit more convinced of that theory, but not entirely so.

He still felt hesitation about going back into his base, about talking to his subrodinates. But he refused to let himself walk away just because it was going to be difficult, he treasured their presence in his life and he wasn't going to let that slip away from him. He felt a bubbling amount of embarrassment at the realization that they were so important to him, a sense of shame that he was so reliant on other people. He was taught that personal relationships were childish, caring about others was irrational, and he'd always been a failure in that regard. But that was his family's way of thinking, not his.

The way he saw things, caring about others could make one stronger, it could give them motivation to work harder. He remembered Yuno coming to his defense at the dungeon, the boy's resolve to protect his newfound friend, he remebered his own new attack spell, he'd never have been able to master it without the support of the people he trusted. But it was a double edged sword, losing someone you cared about, seeing them hurt or in pain, was one of the worst feelings in the world.

It was a dichotomy, the warmth that filled his being when he recalled the past days of laughter and mirth, and the hollow, voracious, and constant stabs of grief that he felt. It hurt to care, but that hurt was a sign that _something_ had been there, that there was something to be missed and longed for. He wasn't entirely sure how that fit in with the rest of him, but he had an inkling he'd discover it some day.

He was walking while thinking, he had hurried into the building to escape the cold, his hands and lips were already chapped by the unforgiving weather. The air was warmer, but it tried to shove itself down it's throat, choking him. He didn't want to be here, not anymore, not with people he could barely stand or bring himself to respect, with the exception of his Captain. Captain Vangeance, however, was never around anymore, always off doing something or other. But he was a captain and it wasn't Klaus' place to question that.

He managed to find his way in the winding maze of intricate hallways with their ornate carvings, all too familiar and all too gaudy. He continued his quick pace, refusing to let his eyes linger and his mind wander. He was vaguely recalling where the dining hall was, such a simple thing was now difficult, his mind refusing and unwilling to cooperate.

He stopped for a moment, gritting his teeth and flipping through his memories. That's right, he remebered, the next right just ahead, that's where he needed to go. He was about to take another step, he swore he was, but found himself unable to continue. The world had constricted around him, the walls of this dreadful place were closing on him, strangling him. He couldn't breathe, he could only take choking, gasping breathes.

His ears pounded and rushed with blood, surrounding him with a sickening beat of fear, defeaning him to the outside world. He suddenly seemed very small, so incredibly tiny compared to the weight that had come down on him, crushing him. His body hadn't moved, despite the very primal urge to tear at his collar, the collar of his uniform was constricting more than the walls closing around him did.

Everything seemed like too much, this bout of irrational and frantic fear had slammed into him out of nowhere, and it was _terrifying_. His vision was tunneling, and his chest constricted even tighter, it hurt. He stayed like that for a while, minutes at most, but it seemed like hours for him.

Eventually it started to receed, his breathing slowed to a normal rate and his heart began to work as it once had. He was reeling, what in the world had brought that on? He shook his head as his vision slowly came back to him, his eyes still swimming with shadows. He looked down at his hand, still shaking with unbridled worry and anxiety.

That was... odd, he thought, concerned for himself. He was worried, sure, but such an intense reaction was so unlike his usual ways. His legs were shaky, not stable enough to support his body, so he allowed himself to rest his hand on the wall, just for a moment. He shut his eyes, hard, and tried not to let the pain of the oncoming migraine distract him too much. Water, he decided, he needed water.

After a few slow and measured breathes that let his head clear long enough to open his eyes and push off of the wall, he looked back down the hallway. He wasn't exactly sure how much time he'd wasted with that... episode, but it was too much no matter how much it exactly was. Mimosa and Yuno were waiting for him, he reminded himself, trying to motivate his feet to move once more.

Eventually he peeled himself away from his spot in the middle of the hallway, ahead it was dimly lit by the vague and intricate dances of the lantern flames, casting soft shadows on the stone walls. It was chilling, but familiar all the same, he sighed and resigned himself to start up his route once again. He took an uncertain step, and another, one at a time he told himself, that's all he needed to do. He continued to use that method until he found himself in front of the imposing solid doors that led to the dining hall.

There were muffled tired murmurs coming from behind it, they sounded scarce in quantity and that most likely meant that it was just Yuno and Mimosa in there. He hesitated as his hand reached down to touch the door handle, he wanted to do this. No, he _needed_ to talk to them. So why was it always so hard, why couldn't he just open up to people? He hated that he had to be on the brink of emotional destruction before he could be honest with others, or even himself, it served to be nothing but an obstacle.

He slowly let his palm rest on the handle, letting the cool metal touch his skin for an extended amount of time. He forced himself to let his fingers curl around it, feeling the shapes of the intricate carvings that had been engraved in it. After securing his grip on it, with a sudden twist of his wrist, he opened it, closing his eyes in anticipation.

The voices that had been softly talking had stopped, they were silent now. He let his eyes open, looking down at the floor as he slowly lifted his head up. It was just as he suspected, Yuno and Mimosa were still up, sitting down at one of the tables that was closest to the door.

There was a teapot in front of them along with matching cups, although judging by the smell it seemed to be coffee in there instead of tea. They were dressed immaculately in their usual uniforms, but their faces were tired and their eyes were barely open. They were staring at him with an expression of open shock and disbelief, but also a hint of relief.

He forced his stance into one of his normal serious and overtly formal ones, uncomfortable but neutral. He started walking towards them, each step feeling harder than the last, until he came to a stop in front of the table. He wasn't sure what the next part of his plan was, he had the beginning part and the end down. What the hell was he going to do for the middle?

"Klaus..." Mimosa muttered, already making a decision for him. She slowly started standing up, her tired posture slowly starting to become more lively.

"Mimosa, I-I apologize for making you wait so long, I know that it was selfish of me to put off talking to both of you because I wasn't ready to... process everything that happened." He began, slowly trying to come up with the best way to phrase everything. "I'm sorry for running away because I couldn't understand what I was feeling, but I talked with someone who... is similar to me in a way, and I just... want you to know that I trust you, I trust both of you. And I want to tell you what's going on, but I can't, not yet. At least not all of it."

They sat in stunned silence, they weren't sure if it was because they were on their 8th cup of coffee or because their cold, closed off senior just did _that_, but they found no immediate words to respond with. Yuno and Mimosa glanced at each other, just to reassure themselves that they didn't just hallucinate what had happened. After a few moments of concerned looking, Klaus started to wonder if he'd made a mistake in being so direct.

"So, let me get this straight," Mimosa started, turning back to Klaus with large bags under her eyes, "you stay in your room for a week, we almost never see you, and on the day we decide to wait up for you, you go _out_?"

"Well, uh..." He hadn't expected this reaction.

She loudly sighed while rubbing her temples and closing her eyes, all signs of frustration. "I really, _really_ want to be annoyed by that." There was a pause between her words, "But I'm just relieved you're alright."

"Huh?" He responded, fully prepared to be chewed out.

"I was really worried, you know? We know how..." She let her sentence trail off as she tried to come up with the right word, "important Finral was to you, and seeing... _that_ happen to him, right in front of you, must've been awful. And I understand it takes time to process things like that, but please, you scared me."

"It was irresponsible and stupid of you to to not check in." Yuno butted in, his words steamrolling over Mimosa's, "You're always talking about teamwork and the important of communication, at least follow your own teachings."

Mimosa whipped around and smacked his shoulder with a look of disbelief on her face, this was no time for Yuno's exceedingly rude remarks. He looked back with offension in his eyes, but was stared down by her fed up look. He looked at the ground, his foot tapping as a sign of discomfort before he glanced back up at a silent Klaus.

"But...," He sighed, chewing his words as if they are a tough piece of meat, "I suppose it's not a complete disappointment to see you again." Yuno muttered, reluctantly conveying his own relief.

"Thank you, Yuno." Klaus said, his voice strained with barely hidden emotion, "I'm sorry for worrying you both."

Mimosa took a step forward and hesitated. She looked at her senior, it was obvious he was going through something, and she wanted to help. But was it her place to be so forward, especially for someone she both respected and cared for?

Growing up as royalty wasn't always picture perfect, she'd been blessed with wonderful magic and large mana reserves, but something was always missing. She had always differed when it came to having the same view as the rest of her family when it came to social classes, she could never understand the reason behind pushing others down for being born the way they were. She was never able to connect with them either, whether it be her attitude or her clumsiness, she never could fit in with the rest of her family. Especially her brother, she'd grown up with a begrudging amount of respect for him, but they'd never been... close.

The only family member she found herself enjoying being around was Noelle, her cousin who put effort into bettering herself and took it upon herself to protect Mimsoa when she was injured. Of course, she couldn't say they'd been close before now, and even with their stronger bond, their friendship was still tentative. Needless to say, she hadn't ever truly felt like she had people who cared about her beyond her status or her power.

When she joined the Golden Dawn, which she was only able to do because of Fuegoleon, she constantly reminded herself, she wanted to be a powerful magic knight. She wanted to get stronger and prove that she wasn't useless, that she could stand on her own. She had fully expected to do it alone, as she had always done, but that had changed.

Ever since their first mission together, she found her expectations about friendship and herself, shattered. Klaus had been hesitant of her at first, fearing her the tiniest bit, but had soon moved past it and onto nagging and correcting her. And Yuno hadn't ever cared about her rank or her status, only what she could accomplish and who she actually was. It was... new, refreshing.

She found herself letting go of the title that had been handed her, and trying to become closer to her squad. How often she had heard of the elusive 'family', a group of people that supported and cared for one another, and how often she had been disappointed when she looked at her own. But now she'd finally found the chance to be with people that fit that meaning, to be a part of something that made her happy.

Kirsch would never allow such things as teasing to regularly take place, he was disgusted with with the unsightly manners of closeness and affection, and so Mimosa never really felt like a younger sibling. But here she enjoyed it, having a strong enough bond with someone to poke fun at them, the sense of connection they all had. Really and truly, she thought of them more as family than friends.

Which is why after a few seconds of contemplation, she launched herself at Klaus and tackled him in a hug. It surprised him so much that he made no immediate movement to push her off, and instead, just stiffened up. She wrapped her arms even tighter around him.

"I-, Mimosa, what are you doing?" He managed to push out despite his brain going haywire at the surprise contact.

"Giving you a hug." She said, her face resting to the side of his chest.

"But... why?" He said, completely baffled.

"You looked like you needed one." She yawned, feeling the lack of sleep settle down on her.

They were both exhausted, Klaus had barely slept in days, and Mimosa wasn't used to going without sleep. Yuno was somewhat more aware than his squadmates, although he didn't seem very functional as he was mostly focused on slurping down on the coffee in front of him. Klaus awkwardly patted her head, feeling both touched by her action and uncomfortable with the prolonged contact.

Yuno looked up from the lukewarm beverage, his eyes partially glazed over and heavy lidded, he studied the pair for a moment and glanced back down at his cup. He debated the pros and cons of acknowledging it out loud, the chance he'd be pulled into it would be higher if he did, but there was the possibility to make a snarky comment and he was hesitant to turn that down.

He watched as Mimosa yawned once more, she seemed to have very little awareness as she was still holding onto Klaus. How tired was she, he questioned silently, staring at her with an apathetic looking expression. Klaus finally pushed her away, her head gently bobbing up and down, she was half asleep.

Klaus sighed, and started guiding her back to the table, these kids were really going to be the death of him. He sat Mimosa down across from Yuno, she immediately crossed her arms on the tabletop and laid her head down, intent on getting a small amount of rest. Yuno poked her head with his spoon and she lazily swatted it away while making a disgruntled sound.

"Quit that, Yuno." He chastised, before pausing to ponder something, "You should get some rest as well."

"Not a chance." Yuno muttered, it was getting harder to keep his eyes open.

"Don't be so..., " Klaus twirled his hand while he took a moment to come up with the best word, "difficult. The Royal Knights Announcement is going to here a little bit, and you need rest."

"No, I don't." He said, lying as he stared directly at Klaus.

"Yes, you do." Klaus replied, staring him down with as much courage as he could muster.

"You haven't slept in days, and I'm not so weak as to need sleep." Yuno said, staring at him with defined dark circles under his eyes.

"I'm used to it, you're not, end of discussion." Klaus steamed, Yuno was starting to get under his skin, "Just... try, okay? I'll stop nagging you if you do."

"Your smothering personality is annoying, and that's the only reason I'm listening." Yuno muttered, giving in to his body as he rested on the table, closing his eyes.

"I don't doubt it." Klaus sighed, settling down next to Mimosa on the table. "I'll keep watch."

"Not a... chance..." Yuno yawned in protest, he was quiet after that.

Klaus rested his arm on the table, using it to prop his head up. He also wanted to close his eyes, he finally felt normal enough to actually sleep, but they needed it more. They were too out of it to actually force their senior to rest, which was their original plan, and the roles had been reversed.

Mimosa was softly snoring while Yuno was breathing at a steady pace, so Klaus just assumed he was asleep. He kept his word and stayed awake, making sure nothing could bother them. Although he did take a few minutes away from the pair to make breakfast, which he decided would be eggs, if they didn't like it they could try and make something themselves for once.

He had to admit, cooking had started to become fun, it began as any other begrudging necessity, but it was one of the better parts of his day. Something about it was almost relaxing, putting items together in a certain manner and creating something out of a chaotic mess was almost exhilarating, even if he wasn't very good at it. He was in no way an amazing cook, especially since his vision was obscured by exhaustion, but he still had the stove on and a pan ready to go.

He propped the door open so he could still see into the dining hall, and was relieved to see that Mimosa and Yuno were still fast asleep. Before he'd come to the kitchen, he'd taken a moment to make sure their robes were covering them, the room could get rather chilly at times. He had also taken the liberty of removing the coffee pot and mugs that had been laid out at the table, they were almost empty anyhow.

He gently cracked an egg on the counter, he inspected it for a brief moment and found that it had been suitably damaged. He split it apart over the pan, the yolk sizzled and cooked, the egg white bubbling against the heated metal surface. He cracked another, and another, all in perfect order. Soon he had three eggs simmering together, he wondered if he should also make some toast and decided he would do so later.

He shook the handle, making sure they didn't stick but not damaging them, the room was beginning to fill with the smell of food. After a few more minutes of watching the eggs darken and solidify, he turned off the stove and started the frustrating process of transferring the food from pan to plate. He had three separate plates out, one for each of them, and slowly tilted each egg onto each plate. After that excruciating bit was over, luckily with no casualties, he grabbed some toast that was set out.

He was thankful he didn't have to make some, but he also questioned how it got there in the first place, he wasn't curious enough to attempt to look into it, however. After putting butter on one for Yuno, none for Mimosa, and some for himself, he split them to their designated plates. Lastly, he took some fresh blueberries and spread them across the meals, trying to give an equal amount to everyone.

Finally, his task was completed. It had taken fifteen minutes to prepare a decent breakfast, and he'd only been watching them for an hour or so. But it was almost time for them to get up, as much as he was loathe to disturb them, they also needed to ingest something other than coffee. He left the pan on the stove, he told himself he'd take care of it later, and began the precarious task of carrying three plates.

He ended up carrying two with one hand while leaving the other to his opposite hand, he hurried back into the dining hall, careful not to unnecessarily tilt his body. He set the plates down on the table, gently as so not to suddenly wake them. After a few seconds of arranging them, pushing them to their correct spots, he sighed and prepared for the arduous task of waking his subordinates up.

He began with Mimosa, as he knew how petulant Yuno would act if he started with him, the boy valued his sleep and had a habit of firing off small attacks if startled awake. He gently shook her shoulder, she shifted for a brief moment before slumping away from his hand. He restrained the urge to sigh very loudly, and shook her once again.

"Just a little bit longer..." she mumbled, turning her head away.

"Mimosa, you need to eat." Klaus whispered, giving her one last push for effort.

"Shhhhh, I'm supposed to be waiting for Klaus, I can't eat." She yawned, still sounding half asleep.

She wasn't aware enough to remember her senior had returned, and was currently standing next to her, looking extremely frustrated. He simply sighed and looked down at her, her eyes were starting to open the slightest bit, a welcome sign. He spared a glance at Yuno, the boy slept like a log when he was tired, and hadn't been the slightest bit disturbed by their hushed exchange.

"Mimosa," he began, trying to make his voice as non-patronising as possible, "I'm right here. I got back a while ago, remember?"

She lifted her head up, nodding vaguely in response, her tired eyes wearily blinking the last remnants of sleep out of them. She rubbed a hand down her face, harshly whiping away anything that was stuck to it. A rushed and harsh muttering made it's way to Klaus' ears, it seemed Mimosa wasn't a morning person either.

"Coffee." She finally said, slowly enunciating each sound.

He sighed, and pushed up his frames, "I'm not sure it's healthy for you to have anymore."

"Oh, and you're the expert on healthiness?" She replied with without much hesitation.

He stiffened, he hadn't expected that so soon. Mimosa froze as well, finally thinking about the impact of her words. He looked away from her, feeling a small pinprick of hurt before trying to brush it off, he turned back around and prepared to talk about something else.

"I'm sorry." Mimosa said, cutting him off, "I wasn't thinking."

"It's alright, Mimosa." Klaus said, a tad surprised by her sincere apology.

"What I meant," She started again, pausing to try and format her words, "is that you're always so worried about us, and we understand it's because you want us to do our best, but you never take time for yourself. And before you interrupt and try to tell me that training is taking time for yourself, which it's not, I mean that you never let yourself have fun. You always beat yourself up whenever something happens, but it's never your fault, not really."

"But it's my job as your superior to be accountable for accidents, mistakes that should have been prevented. It's a failure on my part." He explained, his arms gesturing to emphasize each word.

"You're not a failure." Mimosa said, determination set in her voice and eyes, "You're human. You trip, and stumble and mess up, _all_ the time, every single day. But you get better, with practice and time, and with other people supporting you. Just because you're not the perfect senior, doesn't mean you're not important to us."

"Mimosa..." He muttered, both frustrated and touched, the usual emotions he felt in dealing with the problem children.

"What?" She questioned, feeling defensive and embarassed, "I just... wanted to clear that up. You're such a worrywart and so smothering all the time, it'd be best for everyone if you relaxed once in a while."

He rubbed his temples, and closed his eyes. He wasn't going to get frustrated with her, he told himself, she had a point after all. He couldn't help but let a small and familiar smile slip onto his face, some things never seemed to change. He started turning away, going back to the kitchen to reheat the kettle for Mimosa's coffee. He stopped a few feet away, and looked over his shoulder at Mimosa.

"Since I'm going to be making the coffee, could you wake up Yuno?" He said, his eyes telling her it wasn't so much a request as an order.

"Really?" Slipped out of her, weary and exhausted with such a prospect.

"I made breakfast, and I'm getting you coffee, it's an equivalent exchange." He explained, a smug gleam behind his eyes.

"And after I just tried to comfort you? Seriously?" She continued, eyeing their sleeping companion with a wary look.

"You did say not to place so much stress on myself, and waking up Yuno is an anxiety inducing process, so why not let you handle it? You're more than capable, and I shouldn't be so nagging and concerned, right?" He asked innocently, staring at her with a serene expression.

Suddenly she found herself regretting making fun of him, well no, not really, but karma seemed to be turning it's back on Mimosa and shining upon Klaus. Which was entirely unfair and completely rude if you asked her, all her teasing was perfectly valid and rooted in truth. Of course if he fought back it'd only be all the more fun later on, he'd done nothing but solidify her sarcastic wit and backhanded comments as a part of their relationship. But for now, that was put on hold as he made his way back to the kitchen, and left Mimosa to her daunting task.

After a minute or two of hyping herself up, not that she called it that, she prepared to wake her teammate. She started by poking his head, she wasn't entirely sure he felt anything given how much of his hair was always in a tangled mess. She sighed, and began gently shaking his shoulder, barely hiding her wincing everytime she moved him.

Eventually he started moving his slumbering body, slowly stretching his limbs out. She let out a a breathe of relief, thankful that there were no casualties this time around. He lifted his head up as he regained awareness, after a second of looking around, he suddenly straightened up and forced himself into his usual cold demeanor.

"Where is he?" Yuno asked, his voice still dripping with sleep.

"He's getting coffee." Mimosa muttered, gesturing towards the kitchen, "He got us breakfast already."

Yuno looked down and with surprise, finally noticed the plate of food in front of him. The heat drifted up, tickling the boy's face and giving him some warmth despite the cool temperature of the room. It didn't look amazingly appetizing, but he could tell that effort had been put into it, not that he'd acknowledge it, of course.

"Shouldn't he be better at this by now?" Yuno asked, picking up his fork and cutting into the overeasy egg, watching the yellow yolk flow out.

"Well, it's not like you can really complain, Yuno." Mimosa said, taking a bite of her unbuttered toast. "I don't know how to prepare food, and you refuse to do anything, so that just leaves him. I believe the saying is 'you get what you get'-"

"'And you don't pitch a fit', yes, I'm familiar with the concept." Yuno said, taking a bite of egg.

"It wouldn't hurt you to be nicer to him every once in a while, he does do a lot for us." Mimosa softly added, staring down at the table.

"That's bold, coming from you." He responded, an edge to his voice.

"Yeah, but I know when to stop. You," she said, pointing at him to emphasize her idea, "refuse to acknowledge other people's feelings half the time, or at least respect them, even the people you're supposed to be friends with."

"I don't remember being informed that I was friends with any of you." He spat out.

"We didn't. You told us." She replied, staring at him with uncharacteristic intensity. "You told us -- him -- that you weren't going to stand back and let your friend get hurt. But you almost never follow up on that, it's like you don't know how to be... close to people, except for Asta."

"Stop it." Yuno icily replied, feeling cornered.

"No, Yuno, I think you need to hear this." She took a breathe and looked up at him. "You only show respect and any sort of care for Asta, and I get it, you grew up with him, and you two had to go through a lot together. But we've also been through a lot, the Golden Dawn isn't exactly a cakewalk and missions are difficult, and yet you ignore us, and belittle us. Yuno... that's not friendship."

The boy was silent, and it surprised Mimosa that he didn't immediately respond with some poorly thought out jab at her.

"Listen, I'm not asking you to completely change your personality," she continued, trying to finish her statement, "but it wouldn't hurt for you to try and put some effort into being friends. Especially for his sake," she pointed to the kitchen, where her senior was obliviously boiling water, "he's going through something right now, and we need to be supportive, and that means actually acting like good squadmates. And I know that I have to work on being better, and I'm willing to try, but are you?"

He knew he had to say something but just didn't know what, he knew he could be difficult, but was it really like that? No words came to mind, and so he didn't speak, not that it really mattered. Mimosa had gotten her point across, and she knew he understood it, even without verbal cues.

"I didn't mean to snap like that." She said, lying, "But it's important that you treat your friends like actual people, and not just stepping stones."

"You're not stepping stones." He muttered, staring at his food.

"Huh?" She replied, glancing towards him with a befuddled gaze.

"I said... neither of you are stepping stones." He said once more through gritted teeth, "I...," he sighed, "will try and act like that more."

"Thanks, Yuno." Mimosa smiled, before tacking on, "Make sure to eat up, the results are going to be announced soon."

"Yeah." He responded, putting another forkful of egg in his mouth.

And it was silent for a few minutes, an awkward and painful period, but not absolutely unbearable. They managed to finish their food in record time, however their stomachs were still hungering, and both were considering the pros and cons of asking Klaus to make more. The last bit of egg was being scraped off the porcelain and being crammed into their mouths as their senior entered the dining hall once again.

He carried in a tray of steaming drinks, and the smell of freshly made coffee wafted through the air and both members of the Golden Dawn were immediately interested in it. As soon as he set it down on the table, a small battle between the two young teens broke out, the victor wouldn't be decided easily, truly, the stakes were the highest they had ever been. The war was ended almost as soon as it began, in Mimosa's haste to grab a cup before Yuno, she had almost tipped over the entire tray before Klaus caught it.

"Watch what you're doing!" He huffed, taking the tray out of reach and placing down the mugs in front of them, "Truly, it's like you're both children."

They were too focused on ingesting the drink in front of them to be concerned with the validity of their friends words, the friend in question simply sighed and sat down next to Mimosa. She took a large sip from cup and a sound of contentment immediately left her mouth, Klaus was surprised she hadn't immediately spit it out, he hadn't sweetened it at all. On the other hand, Yuno's face twisted dramatically as he drank from his mug, he never had enjoyed black coffee.

Klaus took a cup himself, although he was much more of a tea person, caffeine was caffeine in the end. He slowly and deeply took from it, his eyes hurt and his head was still pounding, side effects from exhaustion. He counted to ten while closing his eyes, he just needed to stay awake for that long, and then he'd start the count again. It was a simple strategy he'd learned growing up, although maybe that was a sign he needed a different one.

"Thanks, Klaus." Mimosa finally said, having regained some semblance of normality.

"Sure." He replied, glancing at her from the corner of his eye."

She looked at Yuno and nudged him with her hand, he shifted his shoulder away from her before letting out a sigh.

"Thank you." He muttered, purposefully staring into his cup of coffee.

"Huh?" Klaus responded, taken aback by Yuno's thankfulness.

"I said it once, I'm not saying it again." Yuno said, going back to his usual composed self.

"You're welcome." Klaus replied, a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth.

"Whatever." He muttered, still refusing to meet anyone else's gaze.

The next few minutes were filled with long sips of the hot and bitter beverages that had been served, and idle chatter about who would be selected. Asta, for sure, was the general consensus, and a few other members of the Black Bulls. They briefly debated about which members of their own squad would get chosen, but that ended quickly as Klaus shut down the discussion. It was unbecoming to talk about other squad members skill levels like that, he explained much to Yuno and Mimosa's annoyance.

Their conversation was interrupted as a courier burst through the door, looking hurried and worn out. Everyone turned towards them with concern on their faces and questions ready in their heads, but were interrupted by the persons loud voice.

"Someone's here to take you three somewhere! You've all been selected as Royal Knights!" They wheezed, bending over.

"Ah..." Mimosa stuttered, standing up suddenly and unsure of what to do.

"Thank you for informing us, when can we expect to leave?" Klaus said, taking the lead.

"They told me as soon as possible, they're waiting in the courtyard, sir!" The courier finished, standing up with a sudden bout of strength.

"Very well, then. Please take your leave." Klaus politely excused them, a tad weirded about by being referred so formally all of a sudden.

The messenger nodded and hurried out of the dining hall, careful not to let the doors crash behind them. Everyone waited a few moments, listening to the receding footsteps going away from them until they were certain they could no longer be heard. Once they were sure, chaos erupted.

"Can you believe it, Yuno?" Mimosa practically squealed, "We got selected!"

"I'm not surprised. I did the best out of anyone there, and it only serves to reason that my squadmates would also do well." He distantly replied.

"Now's the not time for such excitement," Klaus said, pushing up his glasses, "it's imperative we remain professional and cordial. We're representing the Golden Dawn after all!"

"Come on, just admit you're a little proud! You worked hard for this!" Mimosa said, pushing in her chair and encouraging Yuno to stand up.

"Perhaps I feel a... small bit of pride" Klaus said, looking embarassed, "but we really should be focusing."

"Okay, okay." She relented, walking towards the exit.

Klaus watched as Yuno slowly trailed behind her, the look on his face said that he was more excited than he had previously led on. It was a huge honor, and Klaus was grateful to be a part of it, truly, he was. But he still questioning his capabilities, and that... incident in the hall hadn't helped. But he had to remain steadfast and dependable for his teammates, but he'd try and talk to them more. Eventually. Maybe.

He pushed open the door and followed Mimosa's excited chatter, he could do this. He would help defeat the Eye of the Midnight Sun and protect the kingdom, he'd prove himself to everyone. He would come back, he'd return victorious, he'd win, not just for himself, but for those who couldn't be there. For everyone else who had been called failures, he'd fight for them, and prove the world wrong.

* * *

The day had not gone as planned. At all. Maybe that wasn't the best way to describe it, after all, there was no set idea as to how everything would actually play out. To put it as simply as possible, it had been a mess.

When they'd arrived at the meeting place for the rest of the selected group, it had been a curious yet straightforward affair. They explained their goal, announced Captain Mereoleona would be leading the expedition, and issued uniforms. It was quick, simple, and efficient. Except for certain... problems that had popped up, Asta's robe being shortchanged, attitude problems, and an incompetent King, were just a few examples.

Afterwards they had all been bussled around the capital for various reasons, small diplomatic meetings, last minute affairs, it such a whirlwind day that everyone was busy until the banquet. When Klaus, along with his team members, went to visit with Mereoleona at the Clover Castle, he had let his mind wander. Finral was close, it would really only take a few minutes to relocate his room and visit, even just for a moment.

But there wasn't time, they were going to be late for the dinner, and he couldn't just leave his subordinates. They'd ended up running into Asta and Noelle while they were about to return to the capital, and that's when his decision to not visit solidified. Asta was a handful by himself, but around Yuno, his reckless behavior increased tenfold. Really, it'd be the responsible thing to just leave, he'd already visited his friend already.

Of course, as soon as Asta acted up, all those intrusive thoughts were diminished by the boy's sheer recklessness and borderline stupidity. It was a respite from the usual crushing weight of worry that pressed down on him, however, expressing that concern in the form of fretting over idiotic teenagers seemed to be doing more harm than good in the long run. Not that there was really much time to compare and contrast his coping methods as they all rushed to the banquet before Captain Mereoleona could kill them for being late.

It seemed the choices for the Royal Knights were... questionable at best, there were certainly some _unique_ personalities to say the least. All in all, the banquet had gone... less than smoothly. His worries about a spy hadn't been just a bunch of paranoid nonsense as people had suggested, but his vindication came at the price of preparedness. The raid had been moved up, to tomorrow.

Which is why he found himself here, in front of the medical wing of the Clover Castle, in the middle of the night. Although he had just visited Finral earlier that day, he'd planned on having more time to see him again, before the raid. It wasn't particularly professional to show up like this, hurried and nervous, as soon as he had a spare moment, he'd rushed over.

He had taken a moment to bid farewell to Mimosa and Yuno, they didn't need to worry unnecessarily, although the looks on their faces told him that they were still concerned. The image of their tense and silent forms continuously popped up as he made his way through security and began finding his way to Finral's room.

He'd been given a few odd looks, he assumed it was about the uniform. It was light and built for battle, but a bit... out of place in the capital. But it felt freer, less like it was binding him than anything else he'd worn lately. He stopped in front of the door, had he really gotten there so quickly?

He could hear low chatter inside, perhaps it wasn't a good idea to visit right now. But it's not like he could push it off, the raid was _tomorrow_, and he wanted to visit Finral. It was a bad idea, he thought, it was stupid in the first place. No, he told himself, pushing the sudden bout of anxiety out of the way, he'd do this. Their friendship was no one else's business, he didn't have to feel ashamed or embarassed about it, even if it didn't fit with the ideals of everyone else.

He quickly opened the door before he could rethink his decision and decide to retreat, and found that he wasn't the only person who had come to see the spatial mage. As his eyes trailed around the stone room, he recognized the faces in front of him, both of which were turned towards him with wide eyes and silent lips. The woman with a somber look shifted her weight to the other foot, she was surprised, but not disappointed.

"How nice to see you," Vanessa smiled, "Klaus."

It took a beat before he responded, "Ah, Vanessa, I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Wow, I never thought you'd show up to visit, I mean, you never did before!" Luck's voice chimed in, cheery but slicing.

"I'-" Klaus began, trying to apologize.

"Quit it, Luck!" Vanessa said, cutting him off, "It's been hard on everyone, don't be so rude!"

"But Vanessa...!" The boy groaned, an offended inflection in his voice.

"But nothing! He's Finral's friend too, so play nice." She sighed, turning back to the flower vase she'd been fiddling with before.

"If you say so." He rebounded, switching back to his usual excited and cheery personality.

Klaus wasn't exactly sure what he'd just walked in on, but he what he did know, was that it would be stupid to question it. Luck and Vanessa resumed their quiet conversation, both acknowledging and ignoring Klaus' presence. They seemed to be discussing minor occurrences at their base, but directing it to a third party, which he could only assume was the man laying still on the bed.

"Ah, Grey's been working on that spell of hers! You should've seen how happy she was, you would've loved it." Vanessa chirped, flipping her head around her shoulders for a brief moment.

"Once she masters it, I'm gonna fight her!" Luck cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

"Yeah, Luck hasn't changed one bit." Vanessa chuckled before pausing for a a moment, "Asta's been pretty down lately, he hasn't been yelling or training, not doing anything he usually enjoys. But I think he snapped out of it today when Yami talked to him, so there's that, at least."

"I even kicked him in the face before that, but still, nothing!" Luck said, looking down dramatically.

"Yeah, without you around, sixty percent of Luck's impulse control is gone, and Magna certainly isn't helping." She muttered, giving a hard look to Luck.

"But it's much more fun when I'm like this!" He replied, a smile spread thing across his face.

"It really... isn't." She winced.

"It's fun for me!" Luck quickly retaliated, bouncing around.

"It's not fun when we have to clean up the base after your seventh fight of the day, and then you do nothing but watch and eat pudding." She said, putting in the final word.

Klaus had many questions. So, so many. Mostly about how the Black Bulls managed to function as a squad with all their... questionable traits. He thought he had it bad with two mildly moody teenagers, but Finral managed to wrangle an entire squad of chaos-inducing, emotionally traumatized, and absolutely feral people. It was extremely impressive.

"Oh, your friend, you know, the one you kept secret from all of us, is here. He still hasn't said anything. It's getting weird." Vanessa said, not even glancing in Klaus' direction.

Klaus stiffened, Vanessa was now eyeing him carefully, watching his reaction. How was he supposed to respond to that? What did she want him to say? This wasn't ideal, not in the slightest. That itching feeling of impending doom was back, slowly creeping it's way around his neck, and beginning to squeeze.

"But it's not a big deal, I just wish I knew before you had to end up in a coma. We're still going to have to talk about it, don't get me wrong, you overly dramatic flirt." She wistfully muttered to Finral.

"Finral's a real jerk for that!" Luck said, bobbing his head in supposed agreement.

"No, Luck, not quite. There's some things people want to keep to themselves, and that's okay, they're just not ready. But I want to make sure my friends are comfortable with me, and while I feel bad that Finral didn't tell me sooner, I understand it was hard for him. In the end, it's his decision, and I respect that." Vanessa carefully explained, her message wasn't just for Luck, but in her experience, subtlety was never something people usually understood.

"That sounds too complicated," Luck groaned, scratching his head, "just fight it out! Right, Klaus?"

He tried not to jump back as the boy aggressively turned to face him, looking for approval. He tried to respond quickly, and without letting any sort of nervousness show. It wasn't very successful.

"That's... not quite how I'd resolve it." He muttered, pushing up his glasses. "I think Vanessa has the right idea."

"You're lame." Luck sighed, crossing his arms. "But you're a Four-Eyes, what else did I expect?"

Klaus twitched. That stupid nickname seemed to haunt his every waking moment, of course, if he protested it, people would only use it more. Not that it seemed to be stopping at all, but it had to at some point... right?

"It's not 'lame', it's smart. Battling to resolve everything is inconvenient and draining, not to mention that people don't usually enjoy it like you seem to do." Klaus responded, keeping his voice level and neutral.

"I guess. But I don't see _why_, fighting proves that you're the best, and isn't that the point to, well, everything?" He asked, his usual excited personality breaking for a brief second.

He looked down at Luck, and saw more of himself than he cared to admit. It sounded like this was something Luck had grabbed onto, with a sort of desperation that only a child yearning for love could have. He knew that feeling all too well, and felt that maybe he could understand the boy more.

"I thought that too," Klaus said, looking at the ground, "I thought that for a long time. But... it's not. Living like that is lonely, and monotonous, it's not healthy. And as cheesy and asinine as it sounds, doing what makes you happy, for the betterment of yourself and others, is what people should aim for. At least, that's what I think."

"Fighting makes me happy," Luck said, deep in thought, "but fighting alongside people isn't bad either. It's not exactly 'for the betterment of others', but it's close enough. Who'd have thought?"

"Many people. Many, many people, Luck." Vanessa sighed, exasperated with her squadmate.

"Oops. Guess so!" He laughed, as tiny bits of electricity lit up and started flying off of him.

"Calm down before you electrocute someone." Vanessa muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"My bad!" He laughed, mussing his messy hair with a free hand.

"Well, I really should be going..." Klaus said, beginning to back away from the pair, it was the only way he could think to get out of this situation.

Not that he wanted to leave, he just... didn't know how to talk to them. When Finral had been... hurt, there hadn't been time to care about the subtle awkwardness of talking to each other, or the differences in personality. But now it was like every inch of their beings was under a magnifying glass, being scrutinized and agonized over, down to the barest millimeter. It was... uncomfortable, to say the least.

"Huh?" They both said, turning their heads towards him, their faces plastered with surprise.

"It's certainly been wonderful visiting with you both, but my squadmates are going to be worried, and I can't allow that to happen." He put on a smile despite how bitter the words felt coming out of his mouth, he hated using them as an excuse but it was all he could come up with.

"But you just got here." Vanessa said, crossing her arms and tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah! Don't be a square!" Luck cheered, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I really think I should get back..." He responded, each small step towards the door like another weight on his chest.

"It isn't even that late, we still have a ton of time!" Luck said, confusion spread across his expressive face.

"You didn't even say hi to Finral." Vanessa sighed, looking away from him. She felt slightly guilty about using her comatose friend like that, but he'd thank her... eventually.

He stopped. It was a low blow, he thought, but it worked. He knew he was being played, but he also couldn't say he was completely against it. Maybe he could stay, just for a bit longer.

"I... seem to have forgotten that. Where are my manners?" Klaus said, his tone a bit remorseful and heavy.

"Ah, so you're not going yet?" Luck asked, oblivious to the silent exchange that had just occurred.

"Yes, Luck, he's staying." Vanessa smiled, albeit with a little bit of pain, "Now, remember-"

"Yeah, yeah, no death matches." Luck sighed, looking scornfully at the ground.

"Good." She said, it was concerning this was something that had to be specified, but she was too tired to care. Without Finral, wrangling duties fell mostly to her, and as it turns out, she was awful at it.

Klaus began the slow and awkward process of moving to the other side of Finral's bed as Vanessa and Luck continued talking in lowered voices, it seemed like more discussion about their lives at the base. From what he could glean from their lighthearted and spirited giggles, the Black Bulls were as motivated as ever, and they hadn't given up hope despite the... less than ideal circumstances.

Of course, the Black Bulls tended to be a bunch of hardheaded, stubborn, reckless, and insane idiots with little sense of self-preservation. And he was the moron who continuously got attached to them, so what that said about him was probably nothing good. He spared a glance at the bed below him, still filled with the sleeping form of his friend.

He looked better, more vibrant and..., well, _alive_ than he was before. The number of bandages on Finral had been reduced, and a bit of relief settled on him, at least he was healing alright. Although, with further observation, he saw that Finral was pale, and sweating through the sheets. That wasn't as ideal.

Now that he thought about it, it looked like Finral was having a hard time breathing steadily, did he have a fever? He found his hand drifting to his forehead, fingers already outstretched and waiting, before he could stop himself. What was he doing, he thought, panicking while still frozen in position.

Despite talking with Ira, these feelings, these _emotions_ were all so new to him. He wasn't sure how to process any of it, the idea of romantic interest had always been such a foreign and distanced concept to him. But being faced with a constant reminder of his inner turmoil wasn't helping, especially considering how... _forward_ he would unwittingly act.

He didn't want to overstep his boundaries, things like that had always made him uncomfortable and uneasy. He still wanted and ached to be close to people, but he always felt guilty about doing so. Of course, his first experience with close relationships outside of his family, had been with Yuno and Mimosa, so he wasn't entirely sure how skewed his perceptions were, but he could assume that they probably weren't entirely accurate.

In the midst of his crisis, he had failed to notice that sudden silence the room had been plunged into. Vanessa and Luck were staring with an uneasy feeling, Klaus hadn't moved in almost a minute, he seemed to have just... shut down. That wasn't good, they surmised together.

Vanessa was getting fed up, she was exhausted, hungover, and emotionally worn out. Her friend had been almost killed in front of her, and she was stuck watching the rest of the Black Bulls, so it had been a rough week. And she was so sick of watching emotionally-stunted people struggle with romance, whether that be because she was technically part of them and needed to have success vicariously through one of them, or because watching Noelle talk to Asta was becoming dreadfully old, either way, she was seconds away from a mental breakdown.

Luck on the other hand, already assumed they were together, and was wondering why everyone was acting so weird. It's not that he didn't understand emotions, he just didn't understand the way people expressed them, why not be straightforward and honest about them? But that was 'weird', and he never did really know why. He always knew he wasn't quite like other people, the way he talked, the way he acted, it made others uncomfortable, even his own mother couldn't understand him.

But fighting was easy to understand, and it made his mom love him, so it felt _good_ to focus on it. And when he heard the Magic Knights got to fight a ton of strong people, he just _had_ to join! And then he joined the Black Bulls, full of rowdy, energetic, and apparently incomprehensible people, just like him. And it was better than before, in a lot of ways.

They made an effort to understand him, even if it didn't always pay off, and allowed him to grow. He found people he related to, or at least were willing to do what he enjoyed, and it was amazing. The Black Bulls liked him for him, even with all the fighting and rambunctious behavior, he had found himself a place with people who liked him.

Maybe that's why he found himself invested in other people more, maybe they were trying to find a place, like him. There were people who didn't fit in, who were ostracized, and maybe he could try and help them find somewhere to be themselves. Even if he didn't always act like it, he cared about his friends, and he would do his best to protect them.

"Hey! Four-Eyes!" Luck said, trying to get Klaus' attention.

Klaus was yanked back into the room, ripped from his increasingly anxious thoughts. He became flustered as he realized the position he was in, and quickly retracted his arm back to his side, forcing it still. With his other hand, he pushed up his frames, a sign of his extreme embarrassment at the situation.

"Yes?" He replied, so focused on keeping his voice neutral that he didn't notice Luck's use of the hated nickname.

"You're Finral's friend, so you're my friend too!" Luck said, earnesty written all over his face.

"Huh?" He said, he hadn't expected that.

"So let's have fun fighting together, 'kay?" Luck exuberantly expressed, putting his hand across the bed, his palm open in a gesture of good faith.

Klaus was hesitant to take it, the last time he had, Luck had electrocuted him while laughing. Was this another ploy, another trick so someone could have a laugh at his expense? But Luck seemed serious, which was unusual, but not unwelcome. It would still be stupid to trust him, he told himself, but as life seemed to prove, stupidity was okay sometimes.

He slowly let his hand reach and meet Luck's, he tried not to wince as the boy then shook his. There wasn't anything but a slight static shock, which Klaus was pretty sure Luck couldn't control. He'd give him the benefit of the doubt this once.

"Alright, I look forward to working together." Klaus replied, his tone a bit softer than before.

Luck nodded as he pulled his hand away, satisfied that he'd made his point.

"Me too!" He said, smiling while tilting his head. "Let's beat up tons of people!"

"I wouldn't exactly say it like that, but sure. Let's go defeat the Eye of the Midnight Sun." Klaus softly responded, a sudden layer of heavy emotion laying itself across his vision.

"Aww, look at you two, getting along!" Vanessa laughed, put at ease by their agreement. "So adorable!"

"Adorable-" Klaus repeated in indignation, his hand raised up to his face in an automatic motion.

"Vanessa's just being weird, she's always like that." Luck said, brushing it off.

"Look at you, growing so much!" She continued, ignoring Luck's words. "It feels like only yesterday you challenged Magna to a death match."

"That's because I did!" He cheered.

"Oh... well, we all have our things." She said, waving her hand dismissively, "What's important is that you're expanding your friend group, both of you are!"

"I don't recall being a part of this." Klaus muttered.

"Well, to be fair, I've only ever seen you hang out with Yuno and Mimosa. And I know about Finral, but I haven't heard about anyone else, so..." She shrugged, leaving it open for debate.

He uncomfortably turned away, she was right, but she didn't have to be so blunt about it. He looked down for a brief moment and his eyes landed once more on Finral. This was the last time he would see him before going into a dangerous, life-threatening battle. The possibility that he might not come back started to seem more real.

As the very real possibility of failure settled upon him, layering over every bit of his being, wrapping him up in it's smothering and asphyxiating embrace, his face began to twist. Even though he had the utmost faith and trust in his companions, he still doubted himself. He was still a screw up who couldn't even defend children, how could he be counted on in the raid?

He didn't want to relapse back into thinking that way, but it was difficult not to, not when his inadequacies popped up at every turn. He desperately wanted to believe in himself, to have faith, that for once, he could win. But, he thought as he reached into his pocket, why would that happen now?

He pulled the item he'd been looking for out, and set it on the table next to the bed. The basket that had been set there earlier was still there, although it was half eaten. Vanessa craned her head to see, and froze when she what it was.

Klaus had set a caller on the table, not his own, but rather, Finral's. He grimaced as he drew his hand back to himself, he'd sworn to keep it until Finral woke up, but if he never came back, what was the point of doing so? He didn't want to disappoint Vanessa, but he didn't have enough trust in his abilities to keep it with him.

"What are you doing?" Vanessa said, her voice cautious.

"Well... he's getting better, isn't he? He'll probably wake up while we're gone." He said, lying through gritted teeth.

"That's..." She cut herself off, she wasn't going to be able to convince him. He barely knew her, they had no connection beyond a drunken evening and Finral.

"You're right! And when I come back, I'll show him everything I've learned by fighting him!" Luck said, unable to read the room.

"Yeah, he'd love to see that." Klaus chuckled, trying to hide the resigned tone of his voice.

"And he'd love to see you." Vanessa said, staring at the Royal Knight with a stare deadly intense enough to make even the most battle-hardened of warriors tremble.

"I... I'm sure he would." He replied, not looking at her.

"Wow, it's getting really late. If we don't get back, they might think we defected!" Luck giggled, looking rather cheery despite the moody atmosphere.

"Don't joke about that." Klaus muttered, rubbing his face.

"If you say so!" The boy replied, his spirits hadn't been dampened one bit.

"You two should head back then," Vanessa said, saccharine tones evident in her voice, "don't forget anything."

"We won't." Klaus replied, effectively ending the unspoken argument.

"Well, bye, 'Nessa!" Luck said, waving at her.

"Bye, Luck," She smiled, giving back a small wave. She stopped before turning to the other man. "Klaus."

He put his hand up in a polite response as Luck started dragging him towards the door, the boy only stopped to say goodbye to Finral as well. Klaus didn't say anything as he looked towards the bed, but he hoped that if he came back, the person in it would be sitting up, and smiling once again.

He stepped out of the doorway and into the hall, following Luck's energetic movements. It took a lot to tear his eyes away from the room, he had tried to memorize as much as he could, but there was never enough time for the important things he'd noticed. Vanessa's disappointed form was etched in his mind, but the details of the bed were already slipping away.

He reached into his pocket once again, his hand found the object he'd left in there, his own caller. Although he'd left Finral's there, he just couldn't leave his own. He felt his heart relax as he felt the familiar engravings etched onto its side, his breathing steadied as he continued walking. Even if he didn't make it back, at least he had this with him, he could make peace with that.

He found his mind wandering as they made their way back to where everyone was staying, back to simple sunshine filled days, sipping tea and mirthful laughter. It was hard to believe that's all it once was, a chance meeting, an awkward moment blossoming into something else. And he missed it, he missed when everything was understandable and... happy. But what had he done to deserve something as unattainable and impossible as happiness? He let the moments bleed and intertwine with his thoughts, settling into a dark and still mixture. All he really wanted was just one more moment, one moment of laughter, one more moment where he didn't feel like he'd been run over. Or maybe he just wanted one more moment of _him_. Who knows, he thought, he certainly didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya girl has had a difficult month, but it's too much to get into here. Also, I made a spotify playlist for this fic, and it's probably the only thing I've been listening too for a while and I think it's starting to take a toll on me. 
> 
> Also Luck totally picked up "Four-Eyes" from Asta, that nickname is never going to leave Klaus.
> 
> Kudos, comment, and do whatever. My Tumblr is @innogens-breadsticks, so hit me up if you want.


	6. A Dark Abyss and It's Tearful Slumber

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of y'alls comments are,,, just,,, so,,, precious?! They're probably the best part of writing this, if I'm being honest! But, uh, please enjoy!

This wasn't right. No, none of this sat well him with at all. This absolutely monstrous presence of mana was horrifying, especially since it was eminating from one source. One single being holding that much power, it defied all logic or natural laws, it spit in the face of anything Klaus had learned, and then promptly punched it.

The large and cube-like room he found himself in, happened to be the core of the Eye of the Midnight Sun's base. His group, Yuno, Mimosa, and Hámon, had powered through their enemies fast enough to make it there before anyone else. But their efforts had been put to a halt as they all remained frozen at the sight of the giant ball of concentrated mana floating in the air.

Of course, this unbelievable mass of magic seemingly belonged to the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, Licht. It really was his luck that his group got to the center of the base first, and that they now had to deal with _this_. Everything was just a never ending nightmare, wasn't it?

When they'd arrived at their location, in the Gravito Region, everything had seemed simple enough. The enemy had no idea they would be there, and although he was still absolutely drained of energy, he felt confident enough in his teammates that they'd be able to handle themselves. Although that could've been his panicked mind just attempting to convince itself that everything was fine. He totally hadn't had a partial mental breakdown as Mereoleona had split them into teams, nope, not at all.

And after they'd all been quickly sorted into groups, they were all told to just go wild. Although not his preferred strategy, he could see the benefits of such orders. They had a particularly volatile group of people, precise and complicated orders would be automatically ignored in favor of wanton destruction. So why not make wanton destruction a part of the orders?

However, as his group closed in on the center of the base, things had gotten increasingly disturbing and uneasy. The sound of a heartbeat kept ringing in everyones ears, even if some of them pretended not to hear it. It was easier to ignore something like that than face it, and he couldn't fault anyone for it, each beat was another sickening thud that sent his stomach rocketing to his throat.

He hated being like that, so terrified that he couldn't do anything, reduced to nothing but a liability, people believed in him, so why couldn't he just believe in himself? The weight in his pocket had become more noticeable as his thoughts continuously tried to drown out that incessant, _horrible_ sound. This place gave him a horrible feeling, nothing was as it should've been.

The enemies they fought were basically cannon fodder, all easily wiped out by Yuno, although, that could've just been his usual overpowered antics. But even the boy started to lose his bearing as they finally entered the room that had been haunting them. And inside of it is where he found himself, both in awe and shock at such a powerful person even existing.

He could just tell something wasn't right, he didn't know why, but he wanted nothing more than to leave and never look back. He felt every fibre of his being screaming that this place was _wrong_, so horribly unnatural that nothing human would exist here. He was so distracted by his own fear that he didn't notice a soft glow beginning to form around himself and his group mates.

Several thoughts ran through his head in mere seconds, mostly concerns about a possible fight, and the others were questions, why hadn't he reacted yet? What was he waiting for, was he even aware they were there? Eventually his mind started to run blank, barely even taking in outside information, he didn't even have the energy to think of it as odd. Everything seemed so dreamy all of a sudden, all hazy with a touch of mystified belief.

All he could focus on was Licht's skyrocketing power, and had his aura grown larger? His suspicions were confirmed when the energy surrounding the floating person grew rapidly, enveloping the room. He prepared for the worst, even with his mind slowly shutting down, and tried to draw up a quick defense. But his magic wasn't working, his own power refused to respond, and all he could do was watch as it consumed them all.

He winced, prepared for a devastating attack, and was surprised when it never came. The light surrounding him didn't feel aggressive or harmful, it felt so... needed, like something he never knew he'd missed until now, it was... _loving_. He felt the slightest touch of a corporeal hand as it brushed the hair from his forehead, a brief and insanely familiar gesture -- though, he could've sworn that no one had ever done that to him before -- and the light receded, and the warm feeling was pulled away with it.

It caught him so off guard that he automatically stumbled back to protect himself, before thinking of his teammates. How were they, he panicked, were they alright? He was about to turn around, to check on Mimosa and Yuno -- he was sure Hamòn could handle himself -- when the world went black and swallowed him whole.

* * *

Mimosa squinted, trying to see through the blinding light that had just been blasted at them. It wasn't an attack of any sort, which seemed peculiar, but rather, a sign of a heightened power. That wasn't a particularly good sign, she recognized that, but at least that meant everyone was alright. That bit of good news was quickly crushed when her eyes stopped seeing everything in contrast, and started to piece together what was in front of her.

Unlike her, her teammates were still and perfectly poised, but they seemed... different. They looked like they'd been frozen, just staring at whatever was ahead of them, but what was more concerning, were the auras that had appeared around them. Mana sensing was her specialty, and from what she could tell, whatever power was surrounding them, wasn't normal, or for that matter, human.

And their faces, she'd been so distracted that she hadn't even noticed that. They were covered in abstract red marks, trailing across their cheeks and temples, wrapped around their skin. And had their ears grown... pointier? What was going, what happened to her teammates? The air in the room was now layering her with an icy terror, something was terribly wrong.

"Wh-what's the matter? E-Everyone?" She stuttered, stepping back as her heart began to pound, "Yuno, Hamòn, Klaus?"

Klaus glanced back at her, and for a moment, she was relieved. But his eyes had no recognition in them, it was as if they belonged to someone else. Someone who hated her, despised her very existence. She could see the malevolence in them, a horrid, putrid, and primal kind of rage and hatred. That wasn't her friend.

"Don't talk to us," he said, pushing on the edges of his glasses, his voice devoid of warmth, "you aren't one of us."

She was alone. These weren't her teammates, her _friends_, she just knew it. What had that light done to them, she wondered, even as a more pressing issue came to mind, what would they do to her?

"What are you-" She started, still in shock.

"She seems to be royalty." Hamòn's voice interjected.

"Indeed she does." Klaus' body replied, coldly examining her mana.

What the hell was happening, she panicked, watching the exchange before her. Her ever increasing pulse was rising by the second, blood rushed to her head and adrenaline's increasingly familiar power began to surge. Air became cotton as she tried to breathe, heavy and clogging in her mouth and nose, how any even managed to reach her lungs eluded her.

"We'll never forgive you humans!" Klaus' voice yelled, breaking through her haze.

Even as her senior's oh-so-familiar magic was hurtling towards her, with the intent to do much more damage than any sort of sparring session she'd experienced with it before, it was difficult to comprehend. It was their voices, their faces, everything about them was so familiar but so distressingly different. A part of her still thought it was some sort of joke, a terrible, horribly-timed, and hateful joke, but something fake nonetheless. It wasn't until she had jumped out of the way, not fast enough to completely avoid taking some damage, and had witnessed the magic savagely tear through the ground that she felt that bit of hope extinguish.

Although she was well versed in combat tactics, and did have a few attack spells up her sleeve, she knew that she wasn't going to be able to win this alone. She drew forth her healing robe, as quick as possible in the given circumstances, but even then she was promptly outclassed. There was no time for warning as glass shards sprouted from under her, partially piercing her robe and throwing her up into the air, she wasn't able to brace herself as she landed on the ground, but she had to keep moving.

She forced herself up and began to run, she didn't like having to retreat, but if she didn't, she was likely to be... killed. Even thinking about that made her muscles stiffen, she'd just barely accepted that her friends were no longer their usual selves, but she hadn't even begun to process the fact that they were aiming to hurt her, at best. And their power was so different, although the magic attributes and the general feeling was the same, the shape and intensity of the spells were unfamiliar. It was almost archaic, the way they wielded their power now, nothing like the precision and refinement that her seniors had previously emphasized.

"It's no use." Hamòn's voice cut in, ripping her away from her thoughts.

At the same time, another one of Klaus' attacks launched towards her, this time, set straight on it's target. She was too injured to jump out of the way, and her tongue grew dry as she saw the monstrous thing shoot towards her. Spinning rapidly, and much larger than anything she'd seen him attack with, she had no idea how to deflect it, but time was running out, and fast.

Her indecision cost her as the attack made contact with her body, and knocked her to the ground. It briefly crossed her mind that the spell could've easily killed her, and it seemed peculiar that it hadn't. A sharp stab in her side distracted her, although not lethal, the lance had done it's damage. Her robe had been torn away as well, it seemed magic enforcements still weren't enough to protect her.

"You don't have any time to rest, royal." Klaus' voice called out, filling her ringing ears.

Her broken body refused to move, no matter how desperate she got, her stamina was gone. She pleaded with herself, to just get up, to at least try and escape. Her muscles screamed as she tried to wriggle away, a pathetic attempt to run, her skin was raw and littered with small scrapes and cuts that each stung horribly when they touched air.

She felt hot tears well up in her eyes, an automatic reaction to hopeless situations, and that's what it was, hopeless. She was a positive person, constantly cheerful if not a little passive aggressive at times, and yet her will was so easily shattered. She was royalty, she was strong and powerful, revered in the kingdom because of her status. But as she was looking at what could possibly be the end of her life, she found nothing but disappointment in herself.

Disappointment in the fact that she had never stood up for Noelle or for others before she'd met Asta, disappointment that she had never lived up to her own standards, and disappointment that she wasn't strong enough to protect her friends. As the weight of her thoughts began to crush her, Klaus' magic coursed through the area and began encircling her. It quickly revealed itself as a variation of his restraining magic, using steel to push her up on a large cross, and binding her to it. She barely kept from crying out as the metal began digging into her wounds on her wrists and legs, at this rate, her magic alone might not be able to heal her injuries fast enough to be able to fight again.

"You accursed royal, that's a fitting look for you." Klaus' voice spit out, it dripped with venom, letting it flow across his words without a second thought.

She knew that it couldn't be Klaus saying those things, or trying to hurt her, but she'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt. She looked up to him, trusted him, even as she hid that emotion behind a wall of backhanded compliments and thoughtless words. And Hamòn had always made an effort to be polite, to an extant, with everyone, he was usually a cheerful man with little care for serious matters. But even he seemed completely different as his eyes looked upon her with complete apathy, and a hint of satisfaction, at her suffering.

And Yuno still hadn't moved. That was probably for the best, she didn't want to wager her chances against the three of them. But it was still worrying, which was so funny to her that she almost started chuckling, despite the hard build-up of tangled emotion in her throat.

Yuno would call her an idiot for being concerned about him in a situation as dire as this, he'd huff and puff, and say he could take care of himself. But he wasn't doing any of that, no, he was just standing there, so... _empty_. She hated that blank, lifeless stare almost as much as she hated the ones her seniors had, such burning, scathing looks that rang clear with malevolent intent.

"It seems he doesn't have a clear sense of self, yet." Klaus' voice spoke, his body turned towards Yuno.

"Indeed. I'm sure he'll figure that out as some time passes." Hamòn's voice easily responded, his previous anger dialed back.

She wanted to tell them to leave Yuno alone, she needed to protect him. But no words gave way beyond her bruised throat, they still built and teased their way up, but refused to budge beyond her teeth. Was it fear, she wondered, or was her body losing consciousness? With her head still ringing and shaken up from being tossed around, she could barely tell up from down, much less give herself a clear diagnosis.

As the world started to spin, her stomach churning and spasming with it, her tongue grew heavy in her mouth. She held on to the smallest hope that the last remaining bits of her dignity would remain intact, and that she wouldn't begin to vomit, but figured she had much more pressing issues to deal with. Her hazy mind had lost enough cognitive function that she didn't detect the spatial magic that had so suddenly opened a portal, until she heard a familiar yell. Within a second, a short -- but muscled -- figure landed before her.

"Asta?" She called out, the tentative sparks of hope beginning to ignite.

It had to be him, she reasoned, that short robe and dark sword were enough to recognize him, even through blurry eyes. But the thought that he might be like the others struck her, and her hope crumbled away. She didn't know if she could take anymore of this, this was horrible, awful, on so many levels. The people she had been so close to, who she had treasured as confidants and comrades, seemed to have been erased, just... gone. Wiped from their own bodies and magic, and replaced with things more sinister and malicious than anything she'd ever seen before.

"Mimosa!" He yelled back, relieving her. He recognized her, he wasn't going to hurt her.

"Asta..." Mimosa whispered, letting her emotions flare up once more as an unintential break in her voice made itself known.

In time, she'd come to find it embarrassing that she had been so openly happy to see him, but in this moment, she felt nothing but pure relief. She wasn't alone, not relegated to this torment by herself. Asta was here, and he'd stop at nothing to protect his friends. His determination had always been her favorite quality.

"You okay?" Asta sputtered, blatantly panicking about her well-being, "Who the hell did this to you! Hang on, I'll get you down!"

"Hold it." A voice called, dreadfully blank and with no trace of it's usual considerate tone. "I will not allow you to free that descendant of criminals."

"Klaus... and the chubby guy from the Golden Dawn?" Asta muttered, his eyes widening and stance tense, as he took in the scene in front of him. His hand gripped tighter around his weapon, "You can't be serious... not you guys, too!"

Although still elated at Asta's presence, and her relief was very much palpable, the way he phrased his surprise had her worried. Were they... not the only ones? Had this happened to everyone else as well?

"You mean... the others, too?" She croaked, her heart plummeting.

He turned away from her, but it was a 'yes' all the same. So it wasn't just her team, everyone else was dealing with this as well. Had that light affected more than she had thought?

While she was contemplating the situation, her eyes caught a glimpse of Klaus -- she hated using his name on that person, whoever it was -- focusing his magic towards them. As soon as she had saw it, another destructive attack rammed it's away out of the ground, and right towards the two of them.

"No!" Mimosa cried, both as a warning and as a plea.

Asta was able to catch on quickly, he was already in a ready position as soon as he had turned his head. He pushed off the ground with his legs, hoping it would be enough to dodge, and was quickly relieved when the spell whirled past him. With a jolt, he landed harshly and was already springing back up for another defensive move. It cut closer, he could feel the air nip and grab at his exposed skin as the hardened steel spun and cut, before he landed safely.

"Stop it, I don't want to fight my friends!" Asta pleaded, his face twisting with every word, "Wake up! We're-"

Asta, the immovable, never-ending force of optimism and hope, a pillar of quintessential determination, froze. Mimosa had thought, for a split second, that he'd been hit by an attack without her noticing and had sustained a horrible, grievous wound. But as she frantically tilted her head, trying for a better angle, a realization slammed into her. It was Yuno, Asta hadn't noticed before but this was his first time seeing him like... _that_. Asta had grown up with Yuno, had been around him his whole life, and to see that, his childhood friend and rival, part of the enemies he now faced. It must've been absolutely shocking, Mimosa thought, her hands curling into fists.

"Yu... no?" Asta stuttered, stepping backwards as his voice began to quiver, "H-hey, don't tell me... Yuno's an enemy too?"

Asta quickly shook his head, like he was refusing to accept what was right in front of him. It seemed even his unbeatable will had it's weaker points, he was human after all. But he stopped himself, and looked up with the kind of desperation that had been driving him his whole life, the want -- no, the _need_ \-- to protect everyone he cared about.

"Yuno!" He called out, his voice echoing throughout the vast chamber, a battle cry of unending hope and the fear that he had lost someone important. As it reverberated, silence overtook the room, if only for a fleeting moment.

"Hey, Yuno! Yuno!" Asta continued, his fighting spirit renewed and raring to go.

"It's no use. None of us know you." The entity invading Klaus' body spoke, an annoyed lilt to his voice.

"Yuno!" Asta screamed, completely ignoring the words that were supposed to scold him.

"I just told you it was futile." The same one said again, pushing up the glasses on his unfamiliar body. He hadn't yet come to grasp that Asta was probably one of, if not the most, stubborn humans to ever exist.

"I think it's time we made you quiet down." Hamòn's voice resonated, a bored and disinterested look as he began calling upon his expanded reservoir of magic.

The two former Royal Knights raised their hands in unison, with the shared goal to decimate the humans who had so boldly dared to show themselves. These pathetic, awful beings claimed to know them, to be _friends_ with them, how disgusting. The two elfs seethed with a shared hatred for humans, they had trusted these people, had trusted _him_, and were subsequently played for fools. They had been murdered, gruesomely and humiliatingly so, had their mana plundered by selfish, despicable royals, and this fool had the _audacity_ to beg them to stop when the descendent of one of those monsters was right there? This child's execution would be swift, they silently decided, monstrous mana swirling in the air. Not a single elf child had been spared, why shouldn't that also apply to humans?

Their attacks built piece by flurrying piece of unrestrained mana and fury, molding and morphing, building an ever higher tower of hatred. Although powerful and much larger than anything their human counterparts had produced, they had almost no experience fine-tuning it. Practice and precision was such a human thing, elves depended on power, their natural reserves were more than enough to protect themselves or defeat others. Or so they had thought. Even now, with grimoires made for a modern age of constant trickery and adaptation, it wasn't something the two were used to. Of course, such petty details mattered nought in the face of righteous indignation, the sheer possibility of taking down a royal was enough to erase any concerns they had.

"Klaus, please don't...!" Asta called out, his voice choking up the slightest bit.

The elf inhabiting said persons body began to grow more annoyed, these shimpy human children continued to plead for whoever had inhabited this body beforehand. Although the feeling of steel magic and how the body perceived it's surroundings was familiar, the elf soul wasn't alone, and being forced to share something that was his now wasn't appealing. He was still in total control of the body, of it's consciousness, but that pathetic soul still simmered at the bottom of its void, silent as it continued to dream. It was an uncomfortable pressure, two souls forced into a single space, even with one asleep, it was unnerving. Especially since the elf seemed to get brief flashes of memories and imprints of emotions from the slumbering soul.

But from what the elf could gather and piece together, the two humans in front of him had known whatever placeholder had been here before. And well, too, he thought as images of the two in front of him were briefly glimpsed. He wanted to squash those annoying flickers of memories, but forced himself to wait, the reincarnation would be complete soon enough. But this was perfect, he thought as he almost broke out into a smile, what better torture for a royal than to be betrayed by someone she trusted? How poetic.

With little hesitation, the pair of possessed Royal Knights let their attacks fly forward, anxiously awaiting the demise of their enemies. The massive glacier-like attack of glass magic sprung forward to catch the brat with the sword off guard. It quickly separated into dozens of decently sized daggers as it was blasted, but the kid only struggled slightly as he deflected it, but his position was pushed back as he did so. He barely had time to defend as steel magic barreled right towards him. With a clash of power, it slammed into his broad sword, sending him sliding backwards with a great show of force before the child grit his teeth and slashed through it.

"Stop this, Klaus!" He screamed as his face twisted in anger and desperation, "We're both magic knights!"

The elf had his hand to his face, in an attempt to fix whatever the contraption was that allowed him to see. It was a mild annoyance, and he still hadn't figured out how to do it properly when that human said those words. He felt the body -- his body, he corrected himself -- freeze. It was like the other soul had briefly blocked him from controlling it, a feeble and desperate attempt that was ultimately useless. But it was disgusting to feel it, to have his control momentarily revoked.

It was only a moment before the shock subsided, the rage set in. Humans took everything, the elves happiness, life, magic, anything they could get their selfish hands on. He'd finally gotten something back, a new chance to be with his people, to get revenge for all the wrongs that had been dealt to him. He wouldn't let someone take that away, not again. Not some putrid, deplorable human and his wretched little bond with that annoying brat.

"Hmph! Our hatred for you is far stronger than your pathetic little bond!" He yelled, far more enraged than he'd be willing to admit.

As he wrenched his hand down from his face, shaking with unusually strong emotion, he launched two attacks spiraling together. And as predicted, the brat focused on deflecting what he could see, and didn't notice the lances traveling under the ground, ready to strike. The boy deflected the steel magic, with increasing reluctance to do so, and was not prepared for what came out of the ground. Through wavering vision, the elf saw his attacks pierce through the human child's sides, sending blood spewing out of his mouth, and barely missing the royal girl who was silently pinned.

The human within him was quiet now, although not entirely aware of the outside, the sight was enough to get it to stop resisting. Without his interference, he'd grant these humans a mostly speedy demise, but if that soul flared up again... well, some things are best left seen than said. That was a threat, a serious one that at, the elf had every intention of killing those who stood in Licht's way. But don't worry, he cooed to the dark abyss where the soul fitfully slept, you'll be in hell with them soon enough.

But... he couldn't help but wonder what the soul was like, who it was and how exactly it went about its days, but such a frightful idea was immediately expunged from his mind. It was that curiosity that had led the elves to their downfall, trusting and learning about humans had proved deadly, so never again. Although, the elf still begrudgingly wondered what was beyond those brief flickers of images and the emotions behind them, he quickly resigned himself to focus on the fight. It mattered nought, they were going to kill all the humans, and there was nothing to be learned from such a dreadful being anyways. Nothing at all.

* * *

Klaus was confused. Utterly so. The world was pitch black, an empty, draining void, and he was bathed in it. He could've sworn he just somewhere, somewhere important, with... other... people? He couldn't focus on the details, they just became so muddled and unrecognizable. What had he been thinking about?

Right. Where he was. And where was it again? He pondered, still racking his mind for any stray memories that had escapes him. Pressure surrounded him, pushing down ever harder, it wasn't exactly dangerous, just... uncomfortable. But something was pushing him further into the inky abyss that slithered around him.

He knew he couldn't let himself sink into it, he had to get out, for Mimosa, and... Asta... and .... Yu... no? Was that the right name? Were those people he knew? Were they... friends? The word was so unfamiliar now, it seemed forbidden, even. He never had friends, never. He was a noble, after all.

That's right, he must've been dreaming is all, such a frightful fancy. The place that surrounded him seemed to take shape, something much more familiar, a room in his family home. The scene built up, it was a larger room, decorated to showcase wealth with no warmth. A piano that was almost never used, of course made only of the finest materials, was in the center. That's right, it was one of the living rooms, the one where he sat for hours being educated in language, music, history, anything and everything. He must've gotten distracted during a lesson, so much so that he had forgot where he was. Even if that reasoning seemed... odd to him, there was no other explanation.

He was here, in his family's home, still not yet old enough to join the magic knights. So why had he briefly thought he had friends, and why had it felt so _real_? It made no sense, but he continued to hold onto it, almost with desperation.

As he recalled the place before him, a sudden surge of revulsion overtook him. He hated this room. With all it's luxury, the painted ceiling dozens of feet high above his head, large arched windows on the far wall, always covered by velvet curtains, it was still hideous. He hated how the air seemed to cling to him, chilling him down to his bones, how shoes loudly clicked on the the stone floor, the sign of a displeased tutor pacing about as he would get a question incorrect, how his parents voices would echo when he didn't preform up to the standards that had been set. He hated it.

But he couldn't leave it. He never would. But that was how it was supposed to be. How it needed to be. He was alone, he always would be, but it was okay. Because he was a noble, and a noble is above needing people. Above friends. Above commoners, above peasants, above everything.

He began walking towards the piano, he remembered what he had been doing. Every step was another detail added to the room, another shelf formed in the corner, a couch facing the piano, small busts and statues placed with indifferent precision. It wasn't until he was next to the bench, stiff from disuse, that he spied the form of his mother sitting on the couch.

Of course, this must've been the day she was checking on his progress, a noble must be well versed in every area. He had to be strong enough to join the magic knights, be intelligent enough to placate the scholarly community his family was so often involved in, and he was, it was everything he worked towards. But it wasn't just that, he had to be amazing in every sense of the word, and he'd done nothing but dissapoint in every other way. He had failed to pick up painting, hadn't made any progress with drawing, poetry wasn't likely, and he had no remarkable voice or rhythm to speak of. This piano was the last hope he had of appeasing his parents.

They spoke of marriage, emphasizing that he must be talented enough to be endearing to a higher status family. It had already been decided, he was informed, that after he joined the Golden Dawn at fifteen and had a few years to climb up the ranks and rack up a long list of achievements, his family would parade him around to any other noble family with higher standing and an unmarried girl. If he subsequently impressed the family head, he was then to propose to the girl, marry her, and elevate their ranking among other nobles.

He must work hard, even if doing so drained every last drop from him, even as he grew weary of having to wake up, he had to. He was a noble. But that... didn't sit right anymore. Why didn't it?

He slid onto bench, and steeled himself, wiping his hands on his perfectly pressed trousers. His mother was waiting. She didn't make a sound, she never did, her presence still burned all the same. He refused to let his hands tremble as he raised them up to the keys in practiced motions.

He pressed down softly, fingers spread apart as the beginning notes of some forgotten and convoluted ballad continued to build. Slowly and methodically pressing them, exact and precise, with no particular emotion behind any of his actions. Exactly as he was taught, exactly as he practiced for hours. No mistakes, no blunders, just simple movements. But it hurt, his hands were sore and cramped from hours of training, and the keys became harder to press as his fingers became slick with sweat.

As the next page begun, each measure building upon tortuous scales and chords, he began to grow nervous. It felt like the more he continued to play, the less aware of life outside the room he became. But he couldn't just stop, he just had to finish it, perfectly so.

Even as the song marched on, each beat measured in precise intervals, there was just something... off. He felt whispers build at the door to the room, like something was telling him to get up and open it, to greet whatever was waiting there. And a part of him wanted to, and if he was alone, he might've. But she was right there, waiting with a calculated stare.

So he continued, even as his fingers began to strain to reach octaves of new notes, he held his breathe and hoped for the end to come soon. But the pages spread before him seemed to never end, repeat signs were marked everywhere, codas were spread throughout, everything seemed like a loop.

Soon all he could do was read the notes, and try and translate them fast enough to keep up, even as the pages seemed to grow discolored and blotchy. He squinted at them, even with his glasses he had trouble reading it. Luckily he hadn't made a mistake, even with the knocking on the door that seemed to be only heard by him.

It had grown louder and louder, and knocking really wasn't the word he'd use to describe it. It was like a person ramming into it, soft and muffled at first, but it had continuously grown in intensity, and was there... a voice attached to it? Was someone there, and if so, why hadn't his mother gone to see who it was?

Unless... it was a test. For a moment, he wondered if his parents would do such a thing, if they would really test how dedicated he was by trying to distract him. But then he remembered what they were like and figured it was exactly what they would do.

So he ignored it. As best he could. Even if the voice, which was so obscured that he couldn't hear anything it was saying, was so... familiar. But it wasn't of importance. The only thing that mattered was his performance, right here and now.

However, he was struggling. The pages had dimmed during the latest stretch of the song, and he could feel his absolute control of the keys begin to falter and crumble. He hasn't missed a note yet, but it was only a matter of time, and when he did... it wasn't something he wanted to consider.

Maybe he could focus better if that voice would just. Shut. Up. He needed it gone, that incessant ringing of muffled shouting was worming it's way into his mind, trying to make it all he could think about. Why had his thoughts latched onto it, there was nothing particularly special about it, and his mother still made no note of it, even if it was one of their tests, it was unusual.

"-op this, Klaus! We're both magic knights!" Broke through the haze, ringing throughout the room.

His finger slipped and the song was abruptly ended by a singular misplaced note. Was that... Ast... ? The name quickly fled from his mind as the door became silent.

The thumping was gone. Nothing was there, as if it had disappeared. But that distraction had cost him. He had failed. His heart sunk and his breathing stopped. He said nothing as he heard his mother slowly stand up from her spot on the sofa. She methodically moved behind him, he couldn't turn around and see her, he had to remain poised.

She was silent, was it to torture him or gather her thoughts? Was there really a difference?

"What was that?" She spoke, low but reverberating in it's nature.

"A mistake, mother." He replied, keeping his voice as calm as possible.

"A mistake." She repeated, disinterested in his excuses, "Is that something nobility tolerates? Is it something that's acceptable, is that the culmination of all your work?"

"No, it's not." He said, having heard this so many times, it was a speech he knew almost by heart.

"Yet, it's all I've managed to glean from everything you've shown me. I've tried my best to teach you, but you are beyond such effort. We have wasted so much for you to improve, and it is your sole duty to do so, and yet, you continue to disappoint. Why is that?" She pondered with a stern lilt to her words.

"I..." He never had an answer, no matter how many times she asked.

"Why?" She asked, louder and angrier.

"I-I don't... know." He finally spit out, beginning to panic.

"You don't know." She said, mulling over the words, picking them apart and putting them back together, "I'll tell you why, it's because you don't work hard enough. You are a strange, and pitiable creature, all we have ever asked is that you do your duty as a member of this family. And every step of the way, you have failed to do so. Do you long to be exiled, cut off from us, is that what you desire?"

"N-No!" He cried, barely stopping himself from turning around.

"But that is what you've shown, anyone else would've cast you away by now, for your... "mistakes". We've been merciful however, by letting you stay with us, and continuing to try and help you improve. Are you ungrateful for that?" She asked, emotionless and cold despite the words that continued to flow.

"No, I treasure yours and Fathers gifts, and I will do better, I swear upon it!" He gritted his teeth, placating her with words that took another piece of himself away.

"But you are ungrateful. Your failure is evident of that. Failure is for peasants and commoners, the rats that run beneath our feet, we are Nobles. We are better in every way, we are stronger, more capable of intelligent thought, we are the rational beings that govern this land. Preform up to those standards, meet your expectations, or we will not be so forgiving." She said, the edge in her voice dulled by disinterest.

"I am a Noble, and I will do better, I'll bring honor to our amazing and worthy name." The words felt horribly slimy falling from his lips, so utterly disgusting and shameful.

"You will. The next time that I must remind you of this, your Father will be brought into the discussion. And do keep in mind that he's much less tolerant of your lackadaisical attitude than I am." She spoke with an air of annoyance, as if what was before her was an errant employee rather than a child she claimed as her own.

"I understand, Mother. I won't fail." He replied softly, his hands pressed together as he stared blankly at them.

"Don't say such words if you won't follow through on them, indolent child. You become so distracted by such small, insignificant things, it's unfitting of our standing. Perhaps we've been too lenient with you, as our only direct heir." She paused, considering her next words carefully, "However, I have an inkling you understand that no more of your youthful folly will be accepted so easily."

"Yes, Mother." He quickly responded, still staring straight ahead as the imposing figure stood behind him.

"Good. Play once more, you will not stop unless told to, you listen to me, and me alone." She uttered with extreme distaste towards the situation.

He slowly nodded, he couldn't find the energy to form the words she wanted. He'd heard so many variations of this conversation, that it no longer hurt to hear, but rather, it was just... tiring. Nothing else made him this exhausted, it had always drained his will whenever she talked that. He could hear she was stepping back to her perch, how many times had he heard those displeased taps walk back and forth? It was a constant mark of his fear, of his failure to comply, such a simple yet wholly hated sound.

Once again, he raised a shaking hand to the keys. And once again, the thumping by the door started up, a voice still enticing him towards it. But he wouldn't follow it, for he couldn't leave lest he be labeled a failure as a noble. And what was he without that title, how could he exist without his family? As he began to play the beginning notes, he willed himself to not hear whatever, or whoever, seemed to be begging him to leave. He was a failure, he always would be, but even a failure was better than being without his family. Without them, he was nothing, a nobody. There was no other point to life than to serve his family, his kingdom, the obligations he had failed to fulfill weighed upon his mind. How could he ever think of being anything else other than what he was told to be? That wasn't how his world worked, there would never be a way out, he accepted, relegating himself to the cold and taunting tune that drifted in the air. This is what he was meant to do, and he would submit himself to it, after all, he was a noble.

* * *

As the fight raged on in front of her precarious position, Mimosa found it difficult to keep herself as composed. She had noticed Klaus' body briefly hesitating, and for a moment, hope nestled itself within her. But it was just as soon smothered when whatever was controlling her friends retaliated with as much brutality as it could muster, seemingly enraged by that one small moment. Asta had been pushed into a corner, he could fight back and risk hurting his friends, or he could let himself be defeated. Neither one was an option he was particularly enthusiastic about.

Mimosa had tried escaping her restraints, of course, but found that along with his attacks, Klaus' new magic also increased the level of his restraints. But it seemed her help hadn't been needed, after Asta declared that he would save everyone, that he wouldn't give up, and that he'd be the Wizard King, something had happened. Dust had been violently flung around as another attack barreled towards the anti-magic boy, and a new power announced itself, putting itself between the two.

She'd been breathless for a moment, struck still with the kind of fear that she'd just been acquainted with, the fear that she might not be able to do anything to save her friends as they suffered. It wasn't until she got a good reading of the magical flare-up, that she noticed it was incredibly familiar. As the wind gradually grew lower, settling down from it's frantic protective burst, that her suspicions were confirmed. It was Yuno, and not some sort of creepy, hateful version, it was actually him.

She couldn't stop another relieved smile from forming, he was okay, her friend hadn't been ripped away after all. But as happy as she was, a dread began to settle upon her thoughts, he still had those markings, those ears and that incredible boost in strength... how had he managed to retain his personality when the others hadn't?

"What are you talking about, Asta." Yuno's voice playfully rejoined, "I'm the one who's going to become the Wizard King."

"Yuno?" She called out, just to double check it was really her fellow knight.

And though he didn't respond, he was too busy poking fun at Asta's confused statements about his identity, it didn't feel like he was anyone else. And as the two went back and forth with increasing levels of annoyance, with a few rebuttals from Bell, the wind spirit, she was utterly lost within moments. Now that more people were here, she wanted nothing more than to be released from her uncomfortable prison.

Her attention was immediately diverted from her personal feelings back to the commotion in front if her, the two beings in her seniors bodies were beckoning Yuno towards them, welcoming him as their comrade. So it seemed that while they didn't know Mimosa or Asta, they knew Yuno? Or whatever was supposed to be in Yuno's body at the moment, she was still unclear on what exactly was possessing everyone, but she suspected it had something to do the shirtless man standing outside the commotion, who had been complaining about how much effort it had taken to get Asta in here. She had a suspicion that was Rhya, the last remaining member of the Third Eye, however, it seemed odd that he wasn't joining in on the fight.

Nonetheless, Bell did not take kindly to their intrusion, and immediately sent a wave of unfriendly mana their way to make a point. While it whipped up around them, they frowned, mouths pointed downwards in a motion of increasing familiarity. They didn't seem particularly impressed by her power, just annoyed by Yuno ignoring their words, and obviously disheartened when they realized that whoever was supposed to be in his body, wasn't there.

Although she couldn't stay focused for long, as it seemed Asta was the one who immediately took notice of her predicament, no longer talking to Yuno, as the boy seemed to be pondering something, he carefully used his sword to slash at the magic holding her to the cross. The steel cuffs drifted away in little particles of dispersed mana, and a weight had been lifted off of her, however, she had forgotten how high off the ground she was, and was unprepared for the fall back to the ground. Luckily, Asta, being the person he was, wasn't going to let one of his friend's get hurt like that.

She closed her eyes and prepared to hit the floor and injure something, when she found herself being carefully pulled down, and onto the the safe and steady ground. And as stupid as she felt for blushing about it, she quickly thanked Asta for his help, while silently telling herself to be more professional. Not that it ever seemed to do much, she couldn't help but think she'd always be that awkward around him. Which wasn't an appealing thought, but at least it was an honest one.

While she got readjusted, she noticed that Yuno seemed to getting ready to speak, hopefully to share whatever revelations he had come to. She quickly and carefully brushed the dirty off of what was left of her tattered sleeves, careful to avoid any particularly raw patches of skin. She was still injured a great deal, the edge of her excitement at Asta helping her down had been dulled by the excruciating stab-like bouts of pain her ribs gave her.

"I can tell." Yuno began, his voice smoothed over with practiced neutrality, although if you knew him well enough, you could sense the anger in it. "What's moving their bodies right now are souls that belong to others, Klaus and Hamòn's souls have been put to sleep."

"Really?! Then we can save them?" Asta asked, hope ringing in his voice as he turned away from Mimosa.

Yuno muttered under his breath, something small but so very important, ignoring the two behind him. They knew he had uttered something, it was serious by the looks of it, but their minds were empty of suggestions.

"Yuno?" Asta called out, beginning to feel worried and all too panicked.

"But I..." Yuno continued, ignoring his friends voice in an effort to join his thoughts, his voice building in an effort to conceal the emotion behind it, "I am a Magic Knight of the Clover Kingdom, I'm Yuno. No one else."

The two former Royal Knights looked annoyed at that announcement, it obviously hadn't been what they were hoping for.

"Clearly, that vessel is a human with a very strong will." The soul in Klaus' body muttered, loud and annoyed enough for the human in question to hear it, "It appears he hasn't fully awakened yet, humans are such a nuisance..."

The elf had his hand raised in a familiar, yet so different, gesture to fix the glasses that had come with his body. Mimosa noticed his pause and the way he said "humans", continuing to speak as if he wasn't one, what had happened to the two of them?

He pulled his hand away from the frames, eyes narrowed and filled with seething wrath, "We're going to kill those two behind you, and then have you leave that body!"

As soon as those words had been uttered, the two possessed knights summoned their power forth, sending it hurtling forward in a united effort to best the people standing in their way. For all their efforts to defeat the humans they so despise, it amounted to nothing in the face of Yuno's current power. Spirals of glass and steel, terrifying mounds of sadistic intent that seeming melded together in the fury of scorned mages, were shattered and broken in moments. A child stood between them, and victory.

"Those bodies belong to my senior knights." Yuno spoke, cold and calculated as his eyes narrowed in concentration, "You're going to have to leave."

The elves paused in consideration and increasing frustration, they were being bested by a human child, one who so boldly claimed to not be a part of their clan. Were they really going to have to use such unfamiliar grimoires so soon? They had hoped to become acquainted with the objects before using them, but without any other ideas, it served as the only real option.

"Looks like we have no choice." Hamòn's voice conceded, his body in a battle stance as a massive amount of his glass magic started encircling him.

"We'll have to give it everything we've got." The other elf responded, his own rising magic building up to meet his comrades.

As the explosive amount of mana began entangling itself in a messy attempt at combination, still powerful but lacking in the technique that was needed for truly powerful spells, air was blown back towards the trio. From what they could see and feel, their former friends were going to try and attack with a combo spell, albeit an unfamiliar one. If they'd been by themselves, they could've been easily outclassed and defeated in a single blow, but together, they had a chance.

Asta made a surprising amount of noise before he was finally able to form words, "The ground's shaking just from you guys glaring at each other! Oh, crap!"

"I don't know how were going to get them out of there." Yuno said, glossing over Asta's agitated comments, "We may have to incapacitate and bind them." He paused, trying not to grimace, that wasn't an option he wanted to look into, "I'll stop them. You take Mimosa and get back."

While Mimosa felt the need to assert she was capable of fighting, the logical part of her saw the validity of his statement. She'd sustained an untold amount of damage from her little scuffle, even walking seemed like a challenge to her at the moment. She glanced over to Asta, ready to start leaving the room when she saw his head lower. From her standpoint, she was only able to glance from behind him, but it looked as if his jaw was being clenched.

Finally he lifted it up and let out a hallow, strained laugh that reverberated around the area, falling harshly upon his allies ears. It sounded like he was trying to be like his usual self, but there was something so... tired about it. Perhaps seeing his friends like that, filled with murderous intent and gazes empty of recognition, had taken it's toll.

"Asta?" She asked, tentative and uncertain about how he would respond.

"Like hell I'm gonna let you do this alone!" He called out to his rival, brandishing his sword with a flick of the wrist, and in one practiced swoop, brought it up to his other hand. "Yuno, you jerk!"

The dark power within the scuffed and battered thing flowed through it's host, greedy and starving for more. Although Mimosa trusted Asta as her friend, and cared deeply for the boy, that power had always made her weary. It was just something about it... that and his grimoire, the Five-leaf Clover, she'd heard something about it, but only in a storybooks as a child, read to her by their elderly butler, but the legend was lost to her now.

"Yuno's not alone, he has me!" The wind spirit piped up, still trying to lay claim to the obviously uninterested boy.

"Mimosa, this might be rough, but step back a bit." Asta told her, not turning around in order to focus on controlling his anti-magic.

"O-Okay." She responded, feeling guilty about her presence being a hindrance.

She quickly made her way as far from the fight as she could, feet pounding on the hardened floor, each step another painful reminder of her humiliating defeat. She'd get stronger, strong enough to save her kingdom and protect herself, she liked her friends, but she couldn't depend on them forever. She ran out of space to distance herself with quite fast, as large as the room seemed, it was still relatively enclosed. Her breath ripped it's painful way out of her throat, panting despite each taste of air causing her injuries to act up, but it was all she could do as she watched the fight unfold and get increasingly serious.

"With the grimoires and knowledge from this age, we will be able to use even more refined spells than existed in our age." Klaus' voice rang out, smugly declaring his enemies would be no match for him.

"It appears so." Hamòn's tacked on, sharing in the sentiment.

Although she heard them both, she had yet to see them from behind their monstrous amalgamation of magic power. A surprisingly elegant yet militaristic mix of qualities, a giant castle fitted with steel drills, wheels and glass flowers, it seemed more like a child's day dream than an attack. Along it's plated armor it was detailed with intricate designs and symbols, it reminded her of the old castles she'd seen as a child, beautiful but hauntingly precise in it's construction. It was until the platform audibly connected to the rest of the spell, that she saw them both, standing small in comparison to the creation they seemed so proud of.

"Combination Spell: Le Chateau du Verre!" They both called out, naming their spell with the confidence of a hundred men.

"It's over." The soul posessing Klaus' body spoke, arrogantly sure of it's skill.

As it's imposing form looked over the pair of teenagers prepared to do whatever was necessary to bring their friends back, their will was tested, tried, and true. Asta bit back any sort hesitation, trying to squash his anxiety in it's tracks. With Yuno, he could do anything, he reminded himself, they'd win this, together!

"Well, that thing sure looks crazy." He said, clenching his teeth in a show of determination, "You got this, Yuno?"

"That's some intense magic." Yuno rejoined, the upper corners of his lifting up despite the intense atmosphere, "I wont have time to cover you, Asta!"

As soon as the name left his tongue, he was raring to go. Bell had completed her transformation into the form where their powers intertwined, just as Asta's dark and familiar presence roared to life next to him. Opposites in almost every way, power, talent, personality, but it all seemed like nothing compared to when they fought together. It was almost like a dream to be standing next to each other like this, this was everything they'd wanted as kids, this was who they were!

"Bring it on!" They yelled together, the duo powered up and in-sync, determined to see their friends restored. The stared down the imposters in Klaus and Hamòn's bodies, gritting their teeth as they reigned in their unpredictable powers.

"Go, Le Chateau du Verre!" The two elves called out, meeting the challenge with blood-thirsty zeal and excitement.

The large and lumbering spell began rolling forward, it's wheels clanking and crushing the ground beneath it's heavy form, the steel drills spinning like they were going to pop off at any moment. It rumbled towards the pair with the intent to fight to the death, their tenacity was matched, but not towards the same goal. With a brief moment to lean backwards, Asta and Yuno shot forward, using their respective powers to gain speed and the advantage that came with it.

Yuno, as a user of wind magic, closed in on the target at a more rapid rate than Asta, and in doing so, he decided the first blow of the battle. Charging up a simple, yet trustworthy attack, he used his increased pool of mana and control to bring forth a devastating beam of power, letting it continue to build even as the first bits of it rammed into the combination spell.

Glass shattered under the pressure, steel burnt and melted, deforming the proud structure and marring it's untouched form. The two elves hadn't anticipated that power being so troublesome, and hadn't come up with another plan as they continued to watch the failed reincarnation surround them with his stolen magic, ripping apart their spell. This was another offense by those damned humans, using their own magic against them? For what, their pathetic friends? Even as the anti-magic boy began raining blows upon them, splitting their creation in two, all they could do was curse him.

The bubbling mass of wind magic soon weaved it's way between the falling halves, collecting there, compressing itself between the increasing cracks and dents of the spell. As it continued to build pressure, it heated itself up, and soon the structure could take no more as Yuno's power overcame it, enveloping it in scalding mana. What was left soon exploded and ripped apart as Asta and Yuno busted through, finishing the spell for good.

The Castle of Glass was destroyed, and the elves defeated, bits and pieces of magical metal and glass rained down, coating the area with it's decimated form. In the brief second their bodies were up in the air, mouths open mid-yell, something slipped out of a pocket, flung forward by inertia. It was scarcely noticed among the falling debris, the only difference is that it didn't dissipate as it got closer to the ground, it traveled in an arc, opposite of the way it's owner was thrown.

Mimosa noticed it within seconds, her careful eye had tried to keep perfect watch over the battle, even when she'd been blinded by Yuno's light for a brief moment. The light had glinted off of it in an odd manner, not phasing through it like the half-decomposed chunks of magic debris, and it seemed to be heading towards her. She raised her hands up in anticipation, how it'd come this far out escaped her, but her curiosity had been piqued.

She shambled from side to side, trying not to wince as she put too much pressure on her ankle. She could tell something big was happening in front of her, the air inside the room had shifted to a careful stillness, as if waiting for something to explode and decimate the entire area. But she'd have to wait to see, for now, catching whatever this thing happened to be was her only focus.

And since having good hand-eye coordination was a key part of fighting, it was a cinch to figure out where it'd land. She lifted her palm as it came flying towards her, and caught it as it smacked loudly, stinging her skin. After quietly transferring it to her other hand, which she totally hadn't done because it hurt too much, it quickly became recognizable.

As she palmed it, the etchings pressing into her raw and bruised skin, she remembered seeing it before. It was a caller, a well-made one at that, and as she recalled, it had belonged to Klaus. She looked up, so unprepared to be placed in charge of her friends precious item, and was met with a horrifying sight.

She'd only missed a few seconds, but they'd been a crucial few, and was wholly surprised to see that the fight wasn't over. Instead of seeing Asta and Yuno trying to wake up her seniors, she saw them trying to defend against the newly-awakened leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, Licht. Klaus and Hamòn's bodies were laying still, being fiercly protected by their enemy, an unusual attachment indeed.

Her vision was starting to waver once again, all the dust and hear continuously being stirred up obscured her field of view from time to time. But she almost wished for it to stay that way, a dark part of her believed they could never win against someone that powerful. Even as she saw their power clash and defend, with close calls becomong ever closer, it wasnt until she saw the actual impact of Licht's power on his surroundings, that the she was able to comprehend it. She clutched the item to her chest in an involuntary motion, eyes widening at the odds stacking against her friends.

It was all at incredible speeds, so impossibly fast that she, a royal, could barely keep up. There was no way she could intervene, not in a way that mattered, and felt her disappointment about her strength become immeasurable. Even though Asta and Yuno had teamed up, some of the most powerful and determined people she knew, they were still struggling to defend themselves. They needed help, and soon, but how?

She glanced down and stared at the bronze object tightly pressed to her chest, and the solution struck her. Her thumb frantically dug between the crack separating the top and bottom of the device, the metal began to budge as she pressed harder, prying it open. The top popped open, springing up in a fluid motion.

As she stood there, her relief bubbling to the point where she could've started tearing up, there was nothing she could do to ignore the questions that started popping up in her mind. Why had Klaus kept this with him, why had he brought an expensive item to such a dangerous place? When she had first laid eyes on it, she assumed he used the caller for professional reasons, to contact other squads or higher ranking squad members. Eventually she figured he probably used it for personal reasons, perhaps to call his family, although... she'd never heard him talk about them. But this... didn't track with her assumptions, there was no logical reason for him to keep it, anyone he could've contacted would've already been in the area or too far away to do anything. At least for the mission they had originally planned for, right now, it was her only real option.

She quashed each fluttering idea and suspicion, she had a job to do, there was no time for her curiosity. A breathe was taken and released in an orderly manner, an attempt to calm her racing heart. She heard nothing but the fight in front of her, all terrifying crashes and booms, the cries of her friends as they fought to desperately protect each other. She had to focus, she told herself as her dried up well of mana was wrung out for any remaining drops.

Using what remained of her power, she attempted to contact whatever was on the other end, hoping someone, anyone, would pick up. She gripped the bottom ferociously, shaking hands clutching with the last disintegrating strands of hope. Her nails pressed awkwardly against the metal bottom, way too long to be convenient, Klaus had always chastised her for it, another useless thing he seemed to care too much about. She paused.

What if they never came back? She thought, what if they were just... gone? Her eyes stared blankly at the caller, waiting for something, for someone, to pop up and tell her everything would be fine. But that's not what would happen, was it? Sure, Yuno had come back, but he'd always been lucky like that. What about everyone else?

As she continued waiting, the build up in her throat grew, painfully hot and pressing so uncomfortably against her heart. There was no way she could just lose them like that, it couldn't happen to her. Such bright and vibrant people, annoying, pompous and arrogant at times, but still caring, still supportive, gone. Erased.

Even... Klaus. Even him. Even the person she'd spent the past six months with, the person who'd reluctantly try to teach her, to guide her. The person who, for all his talk of not coddling his subordinates, woke up early to make them food, who's favorite book was a story meant for children, who could recite the Clover Kingdoms constitution from memory. Who kept secret and messy sketches of buildings that caught his eye, who'd surprised her with a basket of sweets and black tea on her birthday, and whenever her family hadn't shown up to visit when they'd promised to, he'd go and take her out on a "mission", and they'd wander the castle town all day, stopping to try new teas or check out stores.

That person, someone so important to her, a person who'd become an integral part of her life, just tossed away like an inconsequential bug. By someone who'd never known him, never talked to him, an invader who had the nerve to insult and belittle her using his body. And as upset and downright terrified as she was, the tears that had started trickling hadn't been caused just by emotions like that.

For every moment she mourned, another was spent seething, feeding a wrathful fire lapping up inside of her. Humiliated and tortured, beaten and bruised, but not broken, not yet. Her face twisted with a dark and angry look, dirty cheeks with visible tear tracks shifted along with her expression. She wouldn't let these people trample on her friends, treat them like garbage. It wasn't just an insult, it was something so degrading and horrifying, to be so arrogant as to ignore those you trample on, to steal and erase what was there before. It was sickening, so utterly horrible that she had cried her tears, weeped over her sorrow, but that little stream was nothing compared to how it enraged her now.

She was royalty, she had a duty to protect the kingdom, and it was spit on by people who wore her friends as puppets, who mocked high from their glass towers. She despised them for their hypocrisy, for acting like those they took over were nothing, like it was right for them to do so. Her teeth ground against each other as the last drop of water fell from her face. She'd make them pay for taking her friends. There was no doubt in her mind as she made that decision.

A light from the caller suddenly appeared, casting it's teal tint into her eyes, blinding her for a moment. She blinked, using a hand to rub the last of her muddled tears out of her face and to give herself a moment to try and collect herself. When she finally looked back down, prepared to see one of her seniors or a mage contact from another squad, she was met with a surprising, but not entirely unexpected sight.

"Finral?"

* * *

It had been dark, his mind that is, he only really realized it was mind after he'd woken up but that was besides the point. The place he'd gone was unfamiliar, devoid of any sort of light or distraction, besides his own thoughts. So that really wasn't an option.

It hasn't been horrible, being alone like that, it was actually kind of... nice. It wasn't awful, at least, not at first. But the longer he spent in there, in that bleak haze, not aware of how much time slipped past him, the more alone he felt. There was some unconscious part of him that kept insisting something was off, that it was too quiet, that he shouldn't be by himself.

But what could he do about that? There was no way out, just an endless void, an echoing chamber of his own buried trauma and emotions. Sometimes a voice would be heard, bits and pieces of words would come, through a familiar light tone, playful and soft but tremendously powerful in its effect, whenever he heard it, the world seemed to turn pink. It was constant, reassuring, and although he couldn't put a name or a face to it, he just knew it was someone important.

There was someone else, for a brief moment, their voice soft and unsure, and so, so needed. It was comforting, and as soon as it had stopped, it left him feeling emptier than before. There were people waiting for him, people he'd apparently forgotten about, but all he could do was wait. All he knew was that he was stuck here, until he wouldn't be. And he supposed that was okay, for now.

Until he wasn't by himself, until he saw something other than the continuous abyss surrounding him. It was hard to make our at first, so bright and hazy, but shaped like a human. Short, and dressed in a familiar uniform, but floating above him with an air of contempt. But that hair and face, how couldn't he remember that, it was his brother after all!

"Brother..."

His voice drifted towards him, unsure and almost questioning, so odd for someone of Langris' personality. And why would he call him "brother" like that, without letting fall from his mouth like poison, hatred spewing as he spit out each syllable. And his mouth hadn't moved to say it either, nothing added up!

"Brother..."

"Langris!" He couldn't resist calling out, even if it was suspicious, it was the person he'd grown up with, it was his brother!

"Thank goodness! You've returned to your senses!" And that was true, in the sense that he was no longer trying to outright murder Finral.

He began to reach out his hand, perhaps he could mend their relationship after all. But with that ever staying smirk, Langris turned, brushing him off in a motion so familiar and yet continuously heartbreaking. He couldn't let him walk away, he hadn't talked to him, hadn't apologized, he hadn't even said anything yet!

"Wait, hey! Don't go, Langris!" Finral yelled, his hand fully outstretched and stopped from going forward, something was holding him back from his brother, but why?

He was so close, he was always just within reach, but nothing ever worked. It was just, so... _frustrating_, he always tried to help Langris, he'd reach out but he would never reach back. Not that he could blame him, who would want to be associated with someone like him, a coward who was nothing more than transportation. But any effort to mend what was broken was always one-sided, always just Finral, and he always felt like a failure when he gave up.

His whirling thoughts were dissipated as he was sent roughly tumbling, his world spinning and changing until his eyes opened and he saw color. He was on the floor, solid tile beneath his hands, cold but real. The hospital gown was thin and light, providing no real barrier to the nipping air, but what did it matter to someone who hadn't felt it in a while? He was elated, awake and alive, he felt like choking up with tears. He was almost ready to start bawling before he froze, someone had kicked him awake, and without any second thoughts, immediately shot back up, clinging to the side of his overturned bed.

"Wh-wh-what the-! Where am I?" He yelled, his gaze circling around the unfamiliar room in a panicked sweep. Sure, he was finally awake, but that just meant all the more to worry about. "It's been a while! I'm Finral!"

"How long do you plan on sleeping," a familiar rough voice grumbled, annoyed at the burden of waking up his comatose subordinate, "you dumb bastard?"

His eyes finally landed on him, focusing enough on the blurry form to notice the important details. A tanktop, freakishly large muscles, and a sword. There was only one person who fit that description.

"Y-Yami?" He stuttered out, squinting to try and see better.

The man paused, looking down with a slight amount of concern before glancing out of the window, staring at the partially destroyed capital. There was no time to ease Finral back into the current situation, he needed his power if he was going to have a chance to triumph and defeat those damned body snatchers. He started impatiently tapping his sword on his shoulder, he had to keep it ready, who knew what could happen next?

"As you can see, the Royal Capital's in trouble. You feel it, too, don't you?" He asked, already knowing the answer. He could feel the ki emanating from all over, it just screamed wrong and forbidden, Licht had done something with those stones, but what exactly? "The inhuman magic that was coming from your brother is now coming from all over."

Was this really what he'd woken up to? Was he really putting his life on the line for someone who'd tried to kill him? It didn't matter, he'd already decided what he was going to do next.

"Let's go, Yami." He spoke, solemnly looking at the ground.

In a careful motion, he reached and pulled the bandages away from his head, unwrapping them as they fell around his face. He was a magic knight, and it was his duty to protect everyone, even those who didn't want it. He'd save Langris, and he refused to fail, no matter what.

"Hold tight, whatever's happening out there, Vangeance caused, and he's not exactly aligned with our current goals." Yami said, glaring at the wall.

"What? Captain Vangeance from the Golden Dawn?" He blurted out, shocked by that reveal.

"Yeah, he's also the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, Licht." Yami relayed, with as little emotion as possible.

"What the hell does that mean?" Finral asked, all sorts of confused.

"'William is asleep inside me', is what he said." Yami replied, recalling those puzzling words.

"So his body was taken over?" Finral muttered, trying to connect everything in his mind.

"Don't ask me! On top of that, he's not the only one who went all weird." Yami huffed, shifting his weight to the other foot, "It affected other magic knights, too. Marx, Old Man Owen, and the Spiny Prickly Queen."

"Even Captain Charlotte?!" He stuttered, just what exactly happened while he was asleep?

Yami paused to light a cigarette, he needed something to distract him from his shitshow of a day. It already started off on the wrong foot as soon as Vangeance had invited him to the Golden Dawn base for an overdue apology, but it had all gone down hill from there. Now the Wizard King was dead, all his friends had been possessed and his only ally was someone who had just returned from the brink of death. So, yeah, he felt pretty pissed about how everything had turned out.

"A lot of crap happened while you were enjoying your beauty sleep." He murmured as smoke drifted out of his mouth.

"You do realize I was dying, right?!" Finral yelled, already insulted by his own squad, and it had barely been two minutes since he'd woken up.

"Yeah, I guess." Yami sighed, brushing it off.

"There's nothing to guess!" Finral snapped, suddenly longing to go back into a coma.

"Man, I was so worried." Yami said, attempting to comfort his subordinate.

"At least sound like you mean it!" Finral grumbled, disappointed but not surprised about his Captains lackluster reaction at seeing him awake.

"No, really, I was. I couldn't even sleep at night." He stated, staring at him blankly. He stopped, before sighing and trying again, this time, without antagonizing the spatial mage, "I'm glad you weren't taken over."

Finral was almost touched before another thought crept up on him, "Wait... does that mean Langris' body was also taken over?"

"Probably." Yami bluntly replied, trying not to pull any punches.

That ominous mana he felt from his brother... was it at all related? Was that why Langris had tried to hurt him, to... kill him? He felt like there was more to it, _way_ more to it, but that was a lot to go into, so for now, possession was what he'd stick with.

Yami opened his mouth, took a breathe, and prepared to say something. But a ringing from the nightstand interrupted him, he turned to look at it, and found himself to be even more confused than before. Finral had noticed as well, hurriedly whipping around after hearing that familiar tune, but what was it doing here?

"Uh... that yours?" Yami asked, pointing to the caller sitting on the table.

"Yeah, but I gave it to Vanessa before my fight, I don't know why it's here..." He muttered, shuffling over towards it, and picking it up.

"So who's calling you?" Yami said, slowly getting annoyed.

Finral didn't answer. He held it in his hand, remembering last week's events. He'd challenged Langris, called him his brother, and revealed his status as a disgraced member of the House of Vaude, all in front of people who hadn't known. More importantly, in front Klaus. And there'd been no chance to apologize or explain himself afterwards, but whatever was happening now, his friend was trying to reach him. So, did that mean he hadn't been taken over? Had he been spared?

With a shaking hand, and a hopeful heart, he flipped the top open. He waited as it paused to connect, what was he going to say to him? Well, apologies were in order, of course, but after? Wait, he thought, why was he so nervous about it, there was so much more to be worried about other than this, so why had his mind fixated on it so quickly.

"Uh, hey? Dumbass? Answer the question." Yami said, getting louder and more demanding.

Suddenly the collection went through, and a blaze of teal light lit up the room. Finral blinked it on of his eyes, this was it. He focused in on the grainy image, he just had to calm down it was only Kl-

"Finral?" A high strung voice rung out, apparently surprised at his presence.

He squinted and found that the person who'd called him wasn't actually his friend, "M-Mimosa?!"

"I-I didn't realize this was for you, or that you were even awake! I just needed to call someone!" She tried to explain, her voice thin and tired.

"W-well I am here!" He sputtered, caught off guard by her appearance, "But where is-"

"Okay, that's it." Yami said, grabbing Finral by the top of the head with his free hand and squeezing, "Tell me what the hell is going on or I'll kill you."

"I'm answering a call!" Finral indignantly yelled in response, both absolutely terrified and annoyed, "I have a personal life, ya know!"

"The Royal Capital is on fucking fire. I dont think your personal life is a priority right now." He said, dead serious.

"It wasn't just that, I thought I was getting a call from another squad! I just... wasn't expecting it to be Mimosa." He finished weakly, stammering out his excuses.

"And why the hell are you calling my ride, anyways?" Yami asked, dropping Finral and turning towards the projected face of young knight, taking the communication object out of his subordinates hand, "Aren't you supposed to be raiding the Eye of the Midnight Sun?"

"W-We were!" She stuttered, trying to gather her thoughts into something coherent. "At least, that's what happened before that odd light appeared..."

"So you guys also saw that?" Yami muttered, gazing off as he began piecing things together, "And what happened after?"

"Well, three other members of my squad and I were in a large room in their base, and we found their leader just... floating. And the next thing I knew-" She started, feeling her voice begin to shake with emotion.

"Hold up, that can't be right. Their leader was here in the capital, just before that light, and even with Spatial Magic, it just doesn't make sense that he'd get back there so fast. Not in the way you just described." He interrupted, the inconsistencies starting to get to him.

"But it has to be him! A member of the Third Eye, Rhya, even called him Licht!" She responded, beginning to feel defensive.

"Agh, I'll figure that out later. Keep going." He said, logging away that puzzling piece of info as he waved his hand at her.

"Well... after the light faded away, and I know it sounds hard to believe but please trust me, the other members of my group were... different. They didn't act the same, recognize me or anyone else, and the very nature of their magic was different!" She clutched her hand to her chest, a nervous habit, "It... was like they were possessed. And I think they were." She squeezed her eyes shut.

Yami grumbled, "So it sounds like you guys are having the same problem as us."

"The... same problem?" She parroted back, feeling her heart drop to the pit of her stomach.

"That's what I just said, can you keep up or not?" Yami reproved, he could sense the stress beginning to take it's toll.

"Yes, sorry, sir. I just... didn't want to believe the whole kingdom was affected by this." She muttered, her projected face lowered, "But.. that doesn't matter right now. What matters is protecting the kingdom and saving everyone." She looked up, her face serious and determined.

"That's great, Ms. Royal, real inspiring, so then why are you calling us, again?" Yami said, staring at her with disbelief.

"Yami, sir, that's not how you're supposed to talk in these kind of situations!" Finral chastised, "And give me back the communicator, it's mine, anyways!"

"Everything you have is mine, you shit, you bought with the pay I gave you, right?" He smugly replied, ignoring the uncomfortable witness stuck in middle of their argument.

"First, that's not how it works! Second, I didn't even buy it, it was a gift!" He huffed, yanking it from his Captains hand, an act of extraordinary boldness coming from him.

"You want to die for real?" Yami threatened, staring at him with his usual intensity.

"You can kill me later, but for now, let's hear what Mimosa has to say!" Finral said, trying not to back down. He wouldn't let himself be pushed around, not anymore.

Yami let surprise slip onto his face for a moment, before smiling. It was about time he pushed back, he was almost getting sick of threatening murder. Tragic, right?

"Those are some big words coming from someone with your hairstyle." Yami said, but not without a hint of pride.

Finral ignored the insult and turned to Mimosa, "What's going on, where's your senior?"

He made sure to phrase the question as carefully as possible, he didn't exactly want to summarize a months long secret friendship, and he felt that was understandable. But he wasn't sure why Mimosa looked pained all of a sudden, it was a rather simple question. Unless...

"Klaus... was one of the ones in my group, he got taken over." She looked down, squeezing her hand tighter, "I'm sorry."

"But that's... no, no, that couldn't have-" He stuttered, staring right at her before stopping, he took a deep breathe and began again, "Is he okay? Did... he hurt anyone?"

"Nothing horrible," She lied, trying not to wince through her tight smile, "but that's not all, Asta tried to dispel whatever magic kept the new soul there but he was stopped... by Licht."

"He's fighting Licht, by himself?!" Finral screeched, another huge burden of stress thrust upon him.

"He's got Yuno with him, but it doesn't look like they're winning." She rushed, starting to feel more uncertain as the fight played out in front of her.

A boisterous laugh broke through the two's tension, and both parties stared at the source in shock. Yami ignored their looks of disbelief and didn't stop until he was satisfied.

"That moron? With the brat from the Golden Dawn? There's no way in hell they'd die to someone to like him, not unless they wanna be killed by me." He finished, confident for somone who had placed his faith in two sixteen year olds.

"They're kids!" Shouted Finral, indignant about the idea of Asta and Yuno facing an enemy like that.

"And they're gonna push past their limits!" Yami rejoined, using his catchphrase to brush off any concerns.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Finral yelled, feeling wrinkles beginning to form at the corner of his mouth.

"Listen, there's three Squad Captains there, and we have the entire Royal Capital to protect. Time's running out and we don't have the luxury to worry about them." Yami said, trying to convince him.

"B-But Mimosa called us, they need help-" He said, feeling his control begin to slip.

"That's what I'd planned, when I first thought this was to contact another group for support. But if you two are in the Royal Capital, then there's nothing to be done." She shut down Finral's protest, there was no way she was going to get the back up they needed, not on time at least.

"B-but what... about..." Finral weakly responded, desperately trying to keep hold of the conversation.

"All we can do is keep faith." Mimosa butted in again, "We can believe in them, and..." She paused as she tried to reign her nerves in, she was royalty, there was no time for hesitation, "We can believe that everyone will be saved. Just trust them."

Finral wanted to argue, but there wasn't any way he could. He was torn, Asta was a kid, and letting a kid fight the biggest bad seemed like a horrible miscalculation. But he'd also seen what Asta could do when pushed into a corner, that kid was amazing when it came down to it. And then there was the matter of his friend, could he trust those kids to save him? Could he even trust himself to save Langris? But he had to make a choice, the time for running was over.

"Mimosa..." He said, looking down as his hand started to clench, "I trust in you all. Please, do your best."

"Thank you." She said, a bit touched and surprised at his earnesty.

"We have to go, there's asses to kick and people to save. You two can chit chat later!" Yami interrupted, starting to feel annoyed about the unexpected distraction.

"R-Right." Finral muttered, his previous resolve beginning to crumble.

"Of course." Mimosa wearily replied, disheartened that her last original hope had been extinguished. But a new flame began to ignite, a far off idea that her friends might actually be able to succeed.

Finral moved to close the top of the caller, hesitating the slightest bit, he just couldn't take his eyes off of her. And he just couldn't stop those small and increasingly fretful worries from popping up. He was supposed to be focused on Langris, that's what he'd told himself at least. But what about everyone else, what about his squad, his other family, and... what about Klaus?

With a realization dawning in his head, he took one last look at Mimosa and flipped the top down, severing the connection. He pulled it down to his side, intending to keep it with him. With a new sense of purpose, he stood up and turned to Yami.

"I'm ready." Is all he uttered, but it was enough.

"After you." His captain responded, a bit more collected than before.

With a nod, Finral flexed his palm in a once familiar motion and summoned his magic once more. There was nothing he could do, he told himself as Yami stepped through the portal, everyone else's fate couldn't be decided by his influence. Right now, he could only save one person, and it was Langris. He was fine with that, it was his duty as his brother, but only one person? And he might not even succeed in doing so? Did the universe hate him that much? He felt like that was a fair question, and one that deserved to be answered. As he prepared to walk through himself, he gave one last look to the item in his hand. His friend had kept his own caller with him, even going so far as bringing it into battle. He pressed it closer to him, it'd be his good luck charm, he refused to let it go. After a shuddering breathe was issued, he stepped into the portal, prepared to face the dawn of a changed kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've started noticing some of my headcanons spreading and it makes me so incredibly happy, and I love it so much. Also I hope the next chapter comes out sooner because I'll have more motivation to be on schedule. However, Finals are around the corner and I fear for my sanity. But other than that, it should be faster! I love you all! Bye!


	7. You Make Me Happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy this mess! I love reading all your comments, and it's really a great motivator, so if you would, please comment or kudos! Also I am super tired!

Everything was so dark, not like the inky slumber he'd been in before, so quiet and pulled within himself, trapped in a bleak replaying of his worst nightmares. But something more tolerable, almost agreeable in a sense. It seemed like actual sleep instead of whatever fallacy he'd been so kindly gifted before, a world made real by his own emotional trauma.

But that cold pressure, the feeling that he was drowning under the weight of another soul, was gone. That ungodly amount of rage and hatred no longer poisoned his own thoughts, at least, that's how it should've been. The truth was that he still felt it, or maybe it had always been there, and it had just chosen to reveal itself now.

But how he could not be angry? Even if he hadn't been entirely aware, two souls sharing a body left scars, marks that wouldn't ever fade. He could feel it, the imprints of that horrible memory, blood-stained grass, the screams of a murdered people, that... _laughter_. Horrible monsters, killing children, wrenching mana away from its rightful owners, laughing wildly and with sadistic satisfaction as an entire race is slaughtered before them. His ancestors. Their blood is his, and the blood they spilled without remorse is forever his burden.

Little snippets of that persons memories twisted and mingled with his own, faded snapshots of a happier existence, from someone with an uncanny resemblance and disposition. There's such a dichotomy in the beginning, two lives, one of fear and obligation and the other of love and life, it's almost hard to believe that one is still continuing without the other. The other soul was like a mirrored version, a reflection smudged and tainted with time and a wrathful lust for revenge. Even if it was gone, peacefully resting at last, it wouldn't ever leave him alone.

It had hated him with such passion, but he couldn't fault the elf soul for it, it only made sense. But it had tried to hurt his friends -- subordinates, he corrected -- and succeeded. He wasn't sure if he could face Mimosa again, a hazy image of her pinned and scared, scared of _him_, was always in the back of his mind. And what of Yuno and Asta, who had actually fought him, begging for him to wake up and then promptly disappointed when he was too weak to do so.

There was sympathy for the elf, having his life and magic stolen was horrible to feel, witness, and connect with. He was angry for him, the elf was unfairly murdered and stolen from, but he was angry at himself for letting his own body hurt the people he cared about, he was angry at the elf for taking out that rage on children who'd had no part in his people's demise. He was just... angry. At everything.

But it was exhausting, feeling like that. Emotions were exhausting in general, but no matter how much he wanted to feel nothing, falling back into his old habits would do more harm than good. Besides, he was starting to come out of his own head, there was no use clinging to whatever twisted thing lay there now. The world would continue to move, and it would pull him with it, his will was no factor in its decision. He didn't have to be perfect, or take everything in stride, he just had to try, at least little bit.

He opened his eyes. It took a few moments of blinking before the realization that he was in control struck him, he didn't feel like he was in a trance, his head ached and his tongue felt like sand, but other than that, he was okay. Everything was blurry, and a shaking touch from his hand confirmed it, his glasses were gone. From what he could tell, the room was well-lit by natural light, especially from his side.

After a few failed attempts to push himself up, he finally succeeded in propping his body up long enough to change position and lean against the padded backboard. He took a deep breathe, shaky but still there, and tried to catch any more details about the room he was in. After squinting for a minute or so, he was able to see the pattern of stone bricks on the wall and floor, and that the area was about the size of his own bedroom.

He curiously felt around his arm, and then around his neck, he was no longer wearing the Royal Knights uniform or that... elf robe he'd seen little bits of, this seemed like that sleeping robe that had been issued when he'd first joined the Golden Dawn. As he fiddled with the lowered neckline, the shirt haphazardly exposed his collarbones in a way he deemed uncomfortable, he began to put the pieces together. A small stone room with a familiar aura, Golden Dawn issued robes, and where else would he be placed after being possessed?

He was at the Golden Dawn base. And as he glanced over his shoulder towards the window, he saw the outline of a bed with another sleeping form. After staring for a few more seconds, he came to the conclusion that it was Hamòn Caseus he was sharing a room with. So that solved one mystery, and at least he wasn't alone. Not physically at least.

But as he turned his head back to his lap, staring at it in a strange fervor, he just couldn't figure it out. As far as the kingdom seemed to know, the entire Golden Dawn (with the exception being Mimosa) had turned against everything they'd stood for, they'd destroyed, wreaked havoc, and as much as he hated to think about, the probably of civilian deaths resulting from the carnage was high. He bunched the blanket with his fists, as guilt began to press it's heavy weight upon him. Why was he sitting here, in relative luxury, shouldn't he be in a jail of some sort? Why was he laying in a cushioned bed, allowed to sleep off the horrors the possessed knights caused, as if the whole event was a mere nightmare? It just didn't sit right with him.

The door flung open, slamming against the wall, startling him from his furrowed concentration. He glanced towards the sound, the outline of a slender and darkened body panting in the entrance. He froze, was this it? Were they being arrested after all, he'd expected it, but not like this. Was he not going to be able to see Yuno, Mimosa or Asta one last time? Not even-

"Klaus!" The figure shouted, a tearful yelp full of mixed emotion.

He couldn't help but flinch, he'd been caught off guard by the unexpected reaction. With his hand held up in front of him in a defensive manner, he began to squint, trying to make out any details he'd missed. The voice sounded so familiar, and as he caught the sight of an unholy amount of green incorporated in the mystery persons outfit, his mind began to short out.

"It-it can't be-" He stuttered, eyes widening in an extreme amount of relief and shock.

He was cut off as it jumped towards him, closing the gap in seconds, wrapping him up in a rushed and desperate hug. It clung to him, trying to disguise it's shaking by squeezing tighter, before it jerked away in horror at its sudden actions. Its hands still rested on his shoulders, just to make sure it was real, that this wasn't a dream.

"Finral?" Klaus whispered, voice taut and strangled.

Now that he was closer, he could see his stupidly raised hair, it's green tips brushed to one side. How hadn't he recognized him immediately, someone so important? But it couldn't have been him, no, he had to be dreaming, unless... Finral had woken up. Could he even dare let himself believe that the universe had bestowed that kind of gift upon him?

"Y-yeah, it's me." Finral choked, so utterly euphoric at seeing his friend restored.

"But how? You were asleep when I left-" Klaus asked, letting emotion rush his words.

"Yami woke me up, can you believe it?" He said, smiling tightly as his eyes began to shimmer, "He kicked over my bed! No respect for the injured, am I right?"

"Wait, are you alright?" Klaus panicked, grabbing tightly onto Finral's arms, desperate for reassurance. "Please tell me he didn't want you to fight. Please don't say that you went along with it."

"What are you doing worrying about me? You know Mimosa called me using your communicator, and I had to find out from her that you got mixed up in that reincarnation nonsense! I was so worried-" Finral muttered, having a hard time keeping his voice steady.

"_You_ were worried? I was concerned you'd never wake up! And when you did, you went right back to fighting, didn't you?!" He said, words crescendoing with building emotion as he felt his hands begin to shake.

"Who cares about me? You were the one in danger, fighting Asta and Yuno like that! And then the Black Bulls?" Finral started laughing, so incredibly stressed from the day, "It's like the elf posessing you purposefully picked the worst people to fight!"

"Tell me what you did after you woke up. Right now." Klaus said, falling back into a more intense way of talking, making sure to enunciate each sound.

"You don't want to kn-" Finral replied, nervously trying to deflect his question.

"Tell me," Klaus squeezed his eyes shut, letting his tense shoulders slump, "... please." He weakly added on, letting worry cloud his voice.

Finral couldn't do it. Not to him.

"I.." He paused, before sighing and giving in, "I helped Yami and Captain Jack defend the Clover Castle... from Langris."

"I'm sorry, _what_?" Klaus hissed, staring at Finral right in his blurry face.

"I fought Langris, again!" Finral harshly whispered back, "And I know, you think it was stupid, but I had to! I wasn't going to fail a second time!"

"You could've been hurt, again!" Klaus pleaded, feeling constricted, "What were you thinking?!"

"I had to save him, it was my duty as a magic knight and as his brother!" Finral argued, beginning to feel steamed.

"You don't owe him anything! He tried to kill you!" Klaus replied, his voice gradually getting louder.

"It wasn't him, it was the magic from the reincarnation!" Finral groaned, feeling his jaw being to hurt.

"He definitely had some issues beforehand!" Klaus shot back.

"You're the one who always talks about duty to one's family as a noble! I'm one too, ya know!" He rejoined, beginning to feel steamed.

"I don't even want to get started on that right now," Klaus muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I'm still not over this Langris business!"

"What do you mean, 'I don't even want to get started'?" Finral repeated, an annoyed tone starting to develop.

"Because it's already stressful enough just focusing on the fact you had a rematch with the person who put you into a coma, I don't have the energy to also think about how he's also your brother!" Klaus stated, voice rising.

"What do you care? You thought I was just a commoner, right, so why does it matter?" Finral accused, his voice noticeably more emotional.

"Why do _I_ care?" Klaus repeated, indignant and pissed, "You didn't trust me! That's why I care!"

"If I told you, you would've treated me differently!" Finral groaned, exasperated and entirely enraged, "You would've only seen my status, and either ignored or sucked up to me! I didn't want that!"

"Do you really think so little of me?" Klaus asked, a dip in his voice betraying the extent of his hurt. "If you really felt like that, then why... why did you even talk to me?" His hands fell down from Finral's arms, and limply landed in his own lap.

"N-no, that's not-" Finral backtracked, realizing just what exactly he'd said.

"Stop it." Klaus said, looking at the floor.

"I didn't mean-" Finral said, taking one of his hands off of Klaus' shoulder.

"I said, stop it!" He yelled, his head turning towards Finral in an act of sudden anger.

It was silent. Finral took his other hand off of Klaus' shoulder, carefully. He hadn't meant to do this, to make his friend angry. Regret filled him, as he folded his arm to his chest, and it didn't leave.

"Ahem, not to interrupt..." A voice spoke up, awkward and a bit apprehensive.

Both parties whipped their heads towards the source, the bed by the window. The person sitting up was smiling in a forced manner, obviously awoken by their fight. With rising shame, the fighting pair realized that they had awoken the other person in the room, Hamòn.

"But if possible, could you kindly take this matter elsewhere?" The man continued, trying to be as polite as he could.

"Oh my god-" Finral stuttered, eyes widening.

"I'm so sorry-" Klaus added on, horror written in his expression.

"We didn't mean to-" Finral continued, panicking as words continued to spill out of his mouth.

"We'll move right away-" Klaus sputtered, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, ready to immediately leave.

"This won't happen again-" Finral continued, opening a portal while talking.

"This was so unprofessional, I apologize again-" Klaus said, rushing through the portal, desperate to escape the situation.

"Goodbye, we're so sorry-" Finral winced, going through the portal himself, hiding his face from the other magic knight.

After a brief flash of light, a confirmation that his magic had worked, he let out a sigh of relief. He leaned back, hands on his hips, as he stretched out his spine. He opened his eyes, and promptly closed them again. He'd made it worse. He was so stupid. So very fucking stupid.

"Why... are we in my bedroom?" Klaus questioned, turning to him with a questioning glance.

"Because..." There was no good reason, he'd panicked and needed somewhere that he'd been to before, that was it, "you... need another pair of glasses!"

Klaus wasn't stupid, so he just looked at him. Judgementally. But after a moment, just sighed. He did need to find another pair.

After a moment of staring and planning, he started to make his way towards his desk, relying on muscle memory to keep from bumping into things. He was relatively successful, albeit a bit odd looking. He reached out and felt the edge of the familiar wooden piece of furniture and used his other hand to feel for the drawer and open it, revealing its contents to the world.

Finral looked over his shoulder, he wasn't snooping, just... curious. While Klaus muttered and riffled around, looking for a spare pair of frames, he noticed the things his friend overturned and ignored. He couldn't help but see the glasses case he'd gifted him so long ago, he was a bit touched that his friend had kept it, but it left him questioning as to why it was in there. He didn't think about it for long as he caught a glimpse of a sheet of paper that had gotten wrinkled in the the mans frenzied search. It looked a carefully made sketch, lines of charcoal stretched across it, neatly forming some sort of structure.

He was about to open his mouth, he wasn't exactly sure what he was going to say, but something was better than nothing. The drawer slammed shut, and he closed his mouth with just as quick. It wasn't important, anyways.

After a quick moment to adjust his new glasses, Klaus turned around, face set in a disapproving line. Finral glanced away, he wasn't really sure if he wanted to go back to arguing. He'd had a bit to cool down, and just felt guilty about the whole thing.

"So. It appears we... need to discuss... things." Klaus summarized, also hoping to avoid another fight.

"That's one way to put it." Finral agreed, looking back up at the other person.

Klaus sighed and sat down as his bed, after a moment, he realized that Finral was still standing, awkwardly. He gestured to the chair at his desk and his friend took it instantly, relieved and thankful. Once that matter settled itself, they were left in silence. It was probably the loudest silence either of them had ever heard in their life. Finral drummed his fingers on his knee, small little taps accentuating each second that passed while they both looked at everything except each other.

"You know... I did mean to keep it from you, at first," Finral started, still staring at the immaculate stone bricks lining the floor. "I... was just embarassed. Ashamed, really. That I was such a failure, especially since I'm from such a well-known family, I was worried you'd never talk to me again."

Klaus stared. But after a quick moment to cough, he responded, "I... understand, in a way. You didn't want to be compared to Langris, you wanted to make an impression, on your own. And I really shouldn't have felt it was my place to be so caught up in it, you have a right to decide what you want to trust me with."

"But I do trust you!" Finral sighed, trying to figure out how he wanted to phrase his thoughts, "You're my friend, and you've done so much for me! But... Langris was awful to you, the things he said... they weren't right. I didn't want you to associate me with how he treated you, or hold me to noble standards. I liked how you saw me, accomplished, brave, even though I wasn't any of those things, I was a blemish for my family, and they were right, but I didn't want you to think that." He clenched his fists, tightly wound in the fabric of his pants, "That was wrong of me, to use you like that, I should've told you."

"That's..." Klaus muttered, unsure of what to say. He stared at his hand for a bit, before moving a bit over on the foot of his bed. He gestured for Finral to move next to him.

He hesitated for a moment, before slowly standing up. It only took a few steps to reach the edge of it, and only a second to sit down. It was silent again, but even more awkward than before, luckily, it was put to an end as Klaus began to speak.

"You know... I... really don't blame you for not telling me. The standards I was taught to hold myself to, the ones I hold every other noble to, are unrealistic." Klaus softly shared, his hands twisting together, "And I don't really think I realized that until now. Just how unfair it was. So... I'm sorry I made you feel like less than you were."

"You don't have to say that, this was my fault, honest!" Finral replied, a light tone contrasting with such a somber statement.

"No, I messed up too, I need to accept responsibility for that." Klaus reproved, much more gently than before.

"Right." Finral accepted, feeling the tension leave his shoulders.

There was a sense of relief, a small blissful moment, before Klaus opened his mouth again, "But fighting Langris again, really?"

"Yeah, I know..." Finral sighed, looking down at his shoes, "I was stupid, and foolish, what was I thinking, all that jazz."

"No, I mean..." Klaus said, trying to explain his emotions to his friend, "I was just really worried. I didn't mean to yell at you, but when I saw you get hurt before... it was horrifying. Every single moment was the next worst moment of my life, I thought you had... _died_."

"Oh." Finral replied, struck with shock by the reminder that Klaus had been there during his first fight with Langris, that he'd been witness to every second.

"And even when you came back, you put yourself in danger, again. But it doesn't make sense, Langris hurt you, and he's, well, not exactly a role model in terms of a good personality, but you risked your life to save him." Klaus lilted, his eyes growing tighter, "I don't understand it. I don't think I ever really will. But you did it. You tried again and you succeeded, and I'm proud of you for that."

"That's... really sweet. Thank you." Finral smiled, looking at his friend.

"Yeah." Klaus muttered, feeling his face begin to heat up.

"Hey, are you alright?" Finral asked, tilting his head to get a better look.

"Absolutely, I'm fine, just..." He trailed off, not able to come up with anything.

"Just... what?" Finral murmured, curiosity revealing itself.

"If we're being honest here..." Klaus articulated, feeling a nervous drop in his stomach and confidence, "then I..."

"It's okay, you can tell me." Finral comforted, trying to be supportive.

"Nevermind. It's nothing." Klaus quickly backtracked, trying to find a way out of the corner he'd put himself into.

"No, see, now I really want to know." Finral laughed, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Trust me, you really don't want to." Klaus muttered, looking away.

"Come on, what is it? It really can't be that bad!" Finral said, nudging Klaus' shoulder.

"It's not a good idea." Klaus stated, turning around and looking at Finral.

"We just poured our souls out to each other, you can trust me!" Finral smiled, tilting his head to the side.

"Stop doing that." Klaus sighed, pulling his arms closer to himself.

"Doing what?" Finral asked, confused about what he meant.

"Stop being like... _that_." Klaus muttered, gesturing to Finral's whole body. "It makes this hard, you know?"

"I can't exactly help if I don't know what you mean." Finral replied, beginning to feel exasperated.

"I..." Klaus started, wincing as he prepared to go for it, "I think you're wonderful. You make me incredibly happy, in a way I haven't really felt before. I don't know how to think about it, or talk about it, but it's there."

"What are you saying?" Finral asked, a look of blatant confusion on his face.

"I mean that..." He burned with fear and nervousness, he could only hope Finral wouldn't hate him, "I like you. Really like you, in a way I probably shouldn't. But I can't really help it, everytime you do something kind, or really stupid, it grows."

Finral was silent, he'd pulled away from Klaus in subtle motion. It was terrifying.

"I'm sorry, please forget that." Klaus muttered turning away, continuing in a quiet but shaky voice, "You don't have to say anything, or talk to me again, but please... don't tell anyone else. I..."

Finral shifted, turning towards him with a burning look in his eye, "The only thing I can say... is seriously?"

"Huh?" Klaus replied, dumbfounded.

"Me?" Finral asked, pointing at himself, "I mean, I figured you had questionable taste, but still..."

"I don't get it." Klaus blankly stated.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be making a joke out of this, but... I can't help it." Finral murmured, looking down, "You know, you make me happy in the same way."

"O-oh." Was all he said back, unprepared for that response.

"Yeah." Finral sighed, also unsure on how to continue.

"So... what happens now?" Klaus posited, trying to fill the awkward silence with something.

"What do you mean?" Finral asked, turning his head to look at him.

"Well, do we just forget about it? Or never talk to each other again? This is unknown territory, I certainly don't-" Klaus spilled out, feeling his mind begin to spiral.

He was cut off by a hand on his shoulder, he turned with a surprised look, and felt whatever his mind had been thinking just disappear. Finral looked just as confused, as worried, but much more hesitant to simply forget about it.

"I don't really know either, but..." He stuttered, scratching his head as he looked away, "I still really want to keep talking with you, and hanging out, but... in a different way? But only if you really want to-"

"O-Okay, yes, that sounds... pretty good." Klaus staunchly interrupted, feeling more relief than he'd thought possible.

"Yeah." Finral agreed, pulling his hand away from Klaus' shoulder, like he'd touched fire.

"Are you free this Saturday?" Klaus asked with a hint of humour, turning to Finral with an easy smile.

"I'm already there." Finral smiled, a light laugh punctuating his words.

This time, the silence wasn't so bad. It wasn't tense or filled with unspoken sentiments, it just _was_. Eventually, after a moment of staring at each other, their hands slowly drifted towards each other. A slow and awkward set of movements occured before they touched, and refused to go further.

With pinkies intertwined, they both burst out laughing, hysterical and light, and exceedingly happy. It seemed odd, that it would end like this, finally, something happy for both of them. As their outbursts died down, both trying to take choking breathes while refusing to let their touch untangle, a sense of peace was found.

"C-can I ask... a question?" Finral gasped, face red from the lack of air.

"Of... course!" Klaus replied, coughing into his free arm.

"I-I really couldn't help but notice, that when the drawer was open, there was a drawing in there. I was just wondering what it was," Finral said, still sounding out of breathe, "you don't have to tell me. I'm just curious."

"Oh. Did you?" Klaus blanched, face going white, "It's not much, I can tell you that, it's embarrassing, really..."

"I believe I must emphasize that we just went through an extremely nerve-wracking experience, there's not much you can do that would be worse." Finral easily replied.

"Well, if you insist..." Klaus sighed, getting up and bringing his hand back to his side.

He quickly stepped over to the desk and pulled open the drawer, the aged wood squeaking as he did so. After quickly plucking the paper from it's hiding place he slowly began to smooth out some of its more noticeable wrinkles. Careful to avoid smudging any lines, it eventually became semi-flat, with only its corners upturned. He turned around, fingers still pinched on it, the sketch facing towards his body. His hand stuck out and handed it to Finral, who graciously accepted it.

Finral examined the cream colored sheet, trying to see what the lines made as they connected and turned. After a moment it clicked, and he stared back up at Klaus, who was impatiently tapping his foot. Of all the things he'd expected, he could say this certainly triumphed all of his expectations.

"You really... came up with this?" Finral said, voice soft and wavering.

"It's just an idea, nothing solid." Klaus brushed off, a little flustered.

"Are you kidding me? This is fantastic!" Cheered Finral, who was excitedly turning the paper to get a better look.

On the paper lay a carefully planned sketches of a house, in an old, but pleasing style. It was analytical, with multiple views of the outside and inside, all done in perspective, or diagrammed in perfect detail. A lot of thought had gone into the creation of it, with little notes in next to certain parts specifying material type or building style. Overall it looked to be a small cabin, with three floors for a basement, an attic, and a ground floor. There was a marked spot in several different places for chimney, large and built with bricks.

"It's not quite completed, there's another book I have to read about 5th-Century domestic architecture, as you can see, I haven't quite figured out lighting, but it should be shaping up soon," Klaus muttered, leaning over and pointing to specific sections. "And the roof isn't slanted enough here, I'll have to fix that later, rain and snow need to be able to slide off. And if you'll notice the way the windows are formatted to be small and manageable but abundant enough to let natural light in, that's how it'll get that homey feel. The whole design is meant to emulate the pre-urban sprawl era."

Finral stared at him, dumbfounded. While it was obvious this was something Klaus was passionate about, he understand absolutely nothing about it other than that it was a house. Presumably one meant to be built in the settlement he'd shown him so long ago. Klaus noticed his stare and promptly slowed down, his excitement ebbing and fading.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to go on like that." He said, looking away sheepishly.

"No, no, continue! I want to know more." Finral sputtered, although he couldn't say he followed everything that Klaus had said, there was something... nice about seeing him like that, enthusiastic and full of life.

"Maybe later," Klaus compromised, still a little wary, "but thank you."

Finral sighed, but ultimately relented as he handed back the paper, disappointed to see it go. Klaus placed it gently back into the drawer, treating it much better than before, and closed it once more. After pushing down a small smile that had appeared on his face, he turned around, much more relieved than he'd been a minute ago.

"So... you really were serious when you offered to help build a house in that old settlement, huh?" Finral asked, an element of disbelief in his voice.

"I wouldn't have said something Iike that if I hadn't meant it." He responded wearily, making his way back to where he'd sat before.

"I guess not." Finral laughed.

Was this real? He wondered, staring at random spots all around the room. It seemed too detailed to be fake, but his mind had messed with him before, so who knew? It wasn't until his glance landed back on Klaus, that he decided, screw it, this was his reality. Whether the universe liked it or not, this, and everything else he'd worked towards, was what he wanted.

"Actually, now _I_ have a question." Klaus said, turning to Finral with a confused look on his face.

"What is it?" Finral asked, staring with a look of concern.

"How... am I here, as in, how am in control of my body? Where'd the elves go, how did the reincarnation fail?" Klaus spilled out, feeling each question pile one on top of the other. "How are Asta, Yuno and Mimosa? Are they alright?"

"Oh. Right." Finral said. He'd completely forgotten to fill him in on that. "Okay, so, here's the thing. I was... passed out for... a good amount while everyone else was saving the kingdom."

"Why were you passed out?" Klaus asked, staring with a tight smile.

"Oh... reasons, just things, they happen sometimes," He derailed, failing to convince either of them.

"You got hurt saving Langris-" Klaus sighed.

"Yeah, I got hurt saving Langris." Finral conceded, staring as Klaus took his glasses off, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What are you doing?" Finral questioned, concerned that Klaus hadn't said anything yet.

"I can't look at you right now." He said, glasses still held in his hand as his head tilted back up.

"Are you kidding me? Really?" Finral replied, indignant and offended.

"I am not." Klaus glared, although that could've just been how he looked when he couldn't see.

"I was fine afterwards!" He defended, leaning forward to emphasize his point.

"Somehow, I have a hard time believing that." He muttered, tapping his foot on the floor.

"Well, I was! Up until the bird started talking..." Finral said, remembering how Nero, the supposedly ordinary bird, had woken him up with a sudden demand to visit the demon head in Hage Village.

"Excuse me?" Klaus replied, his voice strangled.

"So, remember Asta's little bird, the one that always follows him around? So turns out that was actually a girl named Secre, who'd used forbidden magic to turn the First Wizard King into a statue. And, fun story, they went into this huge black thing that had popped out of the Clover Castle and left me outside. So while I'm not sure how everything ended, I do know that much!" He finished, not realizing how insane he sounded.

It took everything Klaus had to not start laughing out of pure stress. That being said, he still took a deep breathe, before looking back at Finral.

"What the hell?" He blankly asked, feeling any sort of reason leave him.

"It's the truth." Finral said, looking a tad smug.

"Every part of me wants to say you're a liar, but..." Klaus sighed, looking down as started putting his glasses back on, and glancing up once he was finished, "you probably wouldn't lie about this."

"I wouldn't, but thanks. Although, you should meet Secre! She's got some real interesting magic." Finral suggested, despite Klaus' look of doubt in response.

"I'm still stuck on the bird part, so we should probably nix that idea." Klaus groaned, there were so many other reasons but he'd stick with that one.

"That's probably for the best, I'm sure everyone else is recuperating, which answers the second part of your worries." Finral segued into, "They're a little beat up and bruised, but with the proper medical attention, they'll be fine."

"That's a relief." Klaus sighed, feeling his mind become a little less tangled, "Even though I wasn't entirely aware, I know I... hurt them. I know it wasn't actually me, but still... I can't help but feel responsible for their pain."

"Hey, that's not fair." Finral sternly reprimanded, putting both his hands on Klaus' shoulders to ground the other knight, "You weren't actively trying to kill them, or maim them. That wasn't you, it was someone else taking your body as a host."

"But Yuno came out of it, right? So why couldn't I? I'm his senior after all..." Klaus mumbled, staring intensely at his lap, "And I sincerely doubt they'll be so understanding."

"Okay, well first of all, I heard Yuno's reincarnated soul was a baby, you had a whole adult to deal with. And second, those kids adore you, albeit in a more... untraditional way." Finral encouraged, trying to look him in the face.

"Maybe they did, but probably not anymore. I tried to _kill_ them, multiple times, I hurt Mimosa and Asta. I don't remember much, but what I do have, is mostly them, bloodied and broken by my magic." He grit his teeth, "It's hard to just brush that off."

"So don't." Finral said, looking him dead in the eye, "You shouldn't just brush it off or try and bury it, that'll just make it worse. But before you start blaming yourself, at least talk to them. Okay?"

Klaus was struck silent, if only for a moment, "Alright. I suppose that's reasonable enough."

"Good." Finral let out a sigh of relief, "I think Yuno and Mimosa would kick my ass if I didn't talk some sense into you."

"I'd think so." Klaus conceded, trying to stifle a laugh that had risen up his throat, "But thank you, for at least trying."

"Of course." Finral replied, his gaze still holding steady.

This was weird, right? He thought to himself, how fast his heart was beating? He didn't want to let go or turn away, right now, he just wanted to lean in a little more. And so he did. Klaus noticed and seemed a little more confused than anything else.

"What are you doing?" He asked, an altogether light and curious tone.

"Oh, I..." Finral wasn't sure what to say, until it struck him, lightning bolt and all, "I was just wondering if it was alright to try something."

"Oh?" Klaus said, cocking an eyebrow.

"It's okay if you don't want to, and this seems a little forward, but..." Finral trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

Klaus leaned in as well, a surprise to Finral, but a welcome one indeed. They were mere inches away from each other. It was a tense few seconds before either of them spoke.

"I don't suppose you want to-" Klaus said, trying to move the process along.

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Finral replied, eagerly agreeing.

They met in the middle, soft and carefully so, and held steady. It wasn't mind shattering or world-changing, it was entirely awkward and hesitant, a summary of their entire relationship. But it felt right, and that was the important part. And when they separated, it was something neither of them were prepared for.

"Wow. Okay, that... just happened." Finral exhaled, still processing.

"Yeah..." Klaus muttered in agreement, also in a state of mild shock.

"You wanna do that again?" Finral sheepishly asked, no barrier between his mind and mouth.

"Absolutely." Klaus replied, no hesitation.

And so they did. With much less embarrassment than before. And it felt a lot more like what they'd heard about from books, all caught up in flurrying emotion. It was simple and sweet, and yet so extraordinarily important that everything else melted away, no longer relevant to the two of them. In fact, they were so oblivious to anything outside of each other, that neither of them noticed the door opening and the two voices drifting out from behind it.

It wasn't until they heard, "OH MY GOD!" Being shrieked by a high pitched voice, that they broke apart suddenly.

They both glanced at the door, hearts pounding with a sense of dreadful fear, and it took a moment before they recognized the two people standing there, frozen in shock. In a rush of sudden embarrassment, Klaus and Finral broke apart, scooting away from each other with a mortifying kind of intensity. However, the situation was still incredibly obvious to the two knights that had interrupted them, Yuno and Mimosa weren't fools after all.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Mimosa continued yelling, hands in front of her as a sign of her intense accusation.

Klaus' heart plummeted, he'd expected this, but it still hurt. "Wait, don't-"

"You should be recovering!" She cut off, utterly annoyed by the disregard of his own health, "We were so worried when we couldn't find you, but here you are, with your boyfriend, WHEN YOU SHOULD BE RESTING!"

She ended it by pointing at him, still breathing hard from her outburst. She took a moment to collect herself, smooth out her clothes, and revert back to her normal, unassuming self, before speaking again.

"If you could follow us back to the medical wing, that would be wonderful." She said, smiling in a way that was forced and entirely exhausted.

"B-Boyfriend?" Finral repeated, his voice almost cracking in surprise.

Klaus couldn't respond. The emotional toll of being found out in such an unprofessional manner, for the second time that day, and then being aggressively supported by his subordinates was too great. It was all he could do to just stare at the floor and wish it would swallow him up.

"R-Right. Of course." He said, refusing to look them directly, standing up and hiding his face with his hand as he pushed on the bridge of his frames.

"Why don't I just portal us back there?" Finral suggested, trying to keep his voice steady, "It would be much quicker."

"Ah. Wonderful!" Mimosa said, tilting her head and gesturing for him to do so. "Please do."

With a pained smile, Finral stuck his hand up and created a pathway back to where he'd run away from before. The universe always found subtle ways to mess with him, and that probably wasn't going to change anytime soon. Klaus immediately rushed through, all too eager to escape, again. Yuno also followed through, remaining silent as he stared down Finral. It was terrifying.

It took a beat for Finral to realize that Mimosa hadn't followed the rest of her friends, and was still standing in the doorway, refusing to move. He wondered if he should address it, but it felt like he would be promptly injured if he did. So he waited.

"Oh, sorry. I feel like stretching my legs." Mimosa said, her voice eerily placid.

"Riiiigghhht..." Finral replied, uneasy.

He began to take a step towards the portal, more than ready to leave. He was so close, almost homefree, before he heard Mimosa speak again. He closed his eyes and said goodbye to leaving unscathed.

"I was hoping you'd accompany me, it seems we have much to discuss." She commanded, stepping to the side to make space for him.

He sighed, looked wistfully at his portal and closed it. He might as well accept his fate, there wasn't any point in fighting it. This was how he'd die, this is what would be put on his tombstone. **Tragically Lost at 21 Because He Was Murdered by An Overprotective 15-Year-Old**, he could see it now. He briefly wondered who'd attend his funeral as he walked towards the door with his head lowered, he could only hope it would be quick and merciful.

* * *

Klaus was spit out the other end, back to where he'd woken up. After a second to readjust himself to.his surroundings, he moved out of the way to make room for the next person. He waited as Yuno stepped out of the portal, standing next to him as they both waited for Mimosa. After a few seconds, it became clear that no one else was walking through, he was about to say something but it closed before he even opened his mouth.

That wasn't a good sign, he surmised, staring at the now blank space where the portal had been. However, this wasn't great news for him, either. Now he was stuck in a room with two people that he'd embarassed himself in front of. His petty and insubordinate charge, and his own senior that he didn't know very well. Wonderful.

If he ran fast enough, perhaps he could make it down the hall before Yuno could catch up to him. No, that was a stupid idea, Yuno's magic would give him the edge and he'd be done for in seconds. Maybe if he knocked Yuno out... wait, no, what was he thinking? He couldn't do that to him! Well... he looked at Yuno and thought of all the times that he'd ignored orders or refused to listen, and began to reconsider his stance on not knocking Yuno out.

He was still in the midst of making a decision when the boy turned to him, appearing ready to talk. Klaus shook his head, and tried to ignore his more panicked thoughts. He could do this, he wouldn't let himself be embarassed by a rookie.

"So." Began Klaus.

"Don't." Yuno said, turning away.

"Huh?" Klaus replied, a little shocked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Yuno muttered, eyes closed.

"Neither do I." Klaus sighed, bracing himself to continue, "But we probably should."

"I don't want to hear about who you date, it's weird." Yuno grumbled, uneager to be conversing about the topic.

"I can understand that, but you can't mention it to anyone else." Klaus explained, a pained look on his face, "You know that, right?"

"I'm not stupid." Yuno muttered, still refusing to look Klaus in the face, "It's also insulting you'd think I do that."

"Sure." Klaus replied, secretly touched by Yuno's words.

"Just... make sure to keep that stuff off base." Yuno shivered, recalling the incident moments ago, "I don't think either of us want a repeat of what just happened."

"Of course." Klaus muttered, a nervous tick in his stomach, "You have my word"

"Good." Yuno promptly agreed, prepared to end this uncomfortable discussion.

It was silent for a moment, still terse and awkward, but not as unbearable. The two were still standing apart, waiting as each second flew by, looking at the door for a sign of Mimosa or Finral. Hamòn was still sitting in his bed by the window, hopelessly trapped in a situation he had no part in.

"So... how's Asta?" Klaus asked, attempting to break the ice with a more neutral topic.

"He's fine." Yuno brushed off, still looking into the hallway.

"I heard you two went into battle together." Klaus pried, trying to get him to divulge more on the subject.

"And we won. End of story." Yuno shut down, being as difficult as possible.

"Right." Klaus sighed, barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes.

"I lost my pendant, though." Yuno conceded after a moment, letting himself be drawn into a conversation.

"Ah, that must've been hard." Klaus offered as a condolence, "You've had it for a while, right?"

"Ever since I was dropped off in Hage." Yuno shrugged, "Not much I can do now."

"Nonsense, perhaps you can look for it later." Klaus suggested, trying to keep an upbeat tone.

Yuno just stared with an annoyed look, "It was in the Shadow Castle."

"Of course." Klaus said, having absolutely no idea what that meant.

"Has... no one really told you?" Yuno asked, a little surprised by his lack of information.

"Well, I only know bits and pieces, but nothing substantial." He admitted, pushing up his glasses.

"It'd be a hassle to explain the whole thing right here, but the point is that it's gone now, and my pendant was probably in there." Yuno muttered, looking a bit bothered about the lack of his prized possession.

"Oh." Klaus said, still having no idea what Yuno was talking about, "I'm sorry then."

"Don't apologize," Yuno blankly murmured, "you weren't the person who took it."

"It was also an apology for attacking you while I was possessed." Klaus said, "I'm glad you weren't hurt."

"Like that magic would hurt me," Yuno responded, looking out the corner of his eye, "That elf obviously had no idea what he was doing with your grimoire."

"Still... he was rather powerful." Remarked Klaus, not sure whether to feel insulted or complimented.

"Power doesn't always match up with technique." Yuno said, beginning to lean up against a wall.

"I suppose so." Klaus agreed, deciding to take Yuno's words as a compliment.

"What was it like?" Yuno blurted out, letting his curiosity get the better of him.

"What was what like?" Klaus replied, confused about what Yuno was referring to.

"I mean, when you were asleep and the other soul was in control." Yuno mumbled, feeling a bit foolish, "I know that I only had a child, it wasn't even conscious of anything, it didn't have it's own thoughts, nothing clear, at least."

"Well," Klaus began, trying to dredge up memories that lay below the murky depths of his mind, distorted and dark, "it was like I was in a fever dream. It was disorienting, and I could barely tell what was happening, but... I was also just stuck somewhere. Like in a memory."

"A memory?" Yuno said, curiosity growing.

"Not really, now that I have some time to reflect." Klaus muttered, a hand to his mouth in a show of concentration, "It was like a bunch of bad memories shoved together into one experience. It wasn't anything particularly awful, it was just... draining. That would make more sense, something horrible would've alarmed us too much, but by creating something that would exhaust a soul and make it not want to fight, it would allow for an easier transition."

"So you were stuck in a mediocre nightmare." Yuno summarized, a little let down.

"I guess you could say that." Klaus agreed, albeit in an annoyed tone, "I can't remember everything perfectly, but that was the best way to describe it. A mediocre and fevered nightmare."

"But it was bad enough that you couldn't wake up?" Yuno muttered, feeling a bit more bold than usual.

"No." Klaus replied, letting his voice go tense, "I couldn't."

"If you say so." Yuno said, backing off.

As the room drifted back into silence, Klaus was still stuck thinking about being trapped in his own body. He wasn't exactly surprised that his childhood was a part of his nightmare world, or his parents for that matter. He hadn't seen them since he'd set off to join the magic knights, he regularly sent them updates, every six months. But they hadn't written back, a relief in a sense, but a wound in another.

Although normal for the times, the way he'd been raised a long held tradition in many noble families, it still felt horrible looking back on it. He wondered how he let himself get so numb to it before, but faced with no other options, there really wasn't much choice. Either cling to the traditions that he lived to uphold or become an outcast in a world where power and standing were everything. He'd only been a kid.

And as the particular heir to his house, he was put under a more substantial amount of pressure. Most of his cousins were born out of wedlock or their outside lineage not considered good enough. Thrust into the care of parents who couldn't stand to be around them, they grew up getting money instead of conversation, and their behavior soon reflected that. Undisciplined, and lacking empathy, they were convinced the world bowed to their every whim. And they weren't exactly wrong about it.

He was still lost in thought, his inner turmoil beginning to appear on his face as his mind dug deeper, after a few minutes had passed. Yuno was staring at him out of the corner of his eye, not because he was concerned he'd inadvertently caused some emotional damage to resurface, no, not at all. Just because... because... okay, so maybe he just felt a little guilty but that was it. He was considering saying something when he heard two pairs of footsteps coming down the hallway.

"They're back." Yuno alerted.

Klaus snapped out of it, taking his hand down from his face and trying to smooth out wrinkles that had formed on his shirt. This wasn't the time for reflecting on the past, he had the future to look forward to. Even if the future theoretically meant defying everything his parents had planned for him. He looked towards the doorframe as Mimosa and Finral appeared in it, one looking much more lively than the other.

"Took you long enough." Yuno chastised, annoyed Mimosa had left him in an awkward situation.

"It wasn't anything horrible, I hope." She smiled, bags under her eyes.

Finral drifted over to Klaus, using him as a barrier between him and Mimosa. The man being used as a blockade looked with a concerned face at the spatial mage that looked like he'd come face to face with death. Had Mimosa really been that bad?

"Are you alright?" He muttered, glancing over his shoulder.

"No." Finral replied, still woozy and shaky from his experience, "Why didn't you warn me she was so scary?!"

"Mimosa?" Klaus asked, his voice still hushed as Yuno and Mimosa continued their banter, "That can't be- well, actually, yeah, I suppose she is."

"Knowing that beforehand would've been nice!" Finral hissed, glaring at Klaus.

"I was a little preoccupied with the fact my subordinates walked in on such a comromsing position!" He harshly whispered, feeling defensive.

"Just say kissing! You're an adult!" Finral groaned, their argument getting louder.

"Word choice is not what we're talking about!" Klaus rejoined, not paying enough attention to know that Mimosa and Yuno's conversation had stopped and that the pair was now invested in their debate.

"That's not the point!" Finral sighed, trying not to let his frustration bubble over, "Why are we even arguing, and over something this stupid?"

"In case you haven't noticed, we're both pretty dumb." Klaus replied, exasperation evident in his tone.

"Well, you're not wrong." Finral said, messing with his hair, still trying to get used to it.

"Take your hair as an example." Klaus smugly responded, as Finral froze.

"Okay, that's not fair!" Finral turned to Klaus, offended by his statement, "First, Vanessa's the one who decided to give me it, and second, you told me you liked it!"

"What else was I supposed to say?!" Klaus said, turning towards him.

"The truth!" Finral muttered, hands gesturing outwards in a show of exasperation and annoyance.

"Okay, at the moment, my brain was not working and the truth would've been a bunch of random sounds mushed together." Klaus explained, very seriously despite the comedic nature of his words.

"I want to be mad at that, but I can't." Finral sighed, taking a beat to calm down, "That's actually really nice."

"I'm glad you think my inability to function as a human around you is nice." Klaus mumbled, also exhausted.

"If it makes you feel any better, it also happens to me." Finral glanced at Klaus, suppressing a small laugh.

He sucked in a breathe, "I figured, but it's good to have confirmation."

"Aww, don't worry, I like you." Finral said, teasing him.

"Well, I'd hope so." Klaus smiled, "Otherwise this whole fiasco would've been for nothing."

"That would be tragic." Finral nodded sagely, as Klaus tried to not break down with laughter.

Their little tangent was interrupted by the furious giggling of one teenager and the barely suppressed groans of another. Mimosa was about ready to fall over as she held onto Yuno's shoulder for balance, her hand other on her knee. The boy's eyes were closed in defeat, ready to accept oblivion at any moment.

"We keep forgetting other people are here." Finral sighed, accepting it, "Why do we keep doing that?"

Klaus didn't answer as his palm was pressed to his temple in an effort to hide himself from the two younger knights, face red and eyes wide. This was not his day. Finral noticed and shook his head.

Mimosa finally pulled enough of herself together that she was able to stand on her own, and let go of her friend. Yuno was still in the same position, so weary and behind his years, life truly never pulled it's punches or unsweetened it's gifts for him. After a moment or so for everybody to collect themselves, conversation resumed.

"So." Mimosa began, her voice still light and airy, "I guess you two are together."

"Please stop." Is all Klaus could respond with, his face still shielded by his hand.

"No, no! It's okay! I'd rather you'd have told us in a more... traditional way," She paused, wincing as she remembered the event that had just occured, "but I'm glad it all worked out! Right, Yuno?"

Yuno's eyes were still closed as he answered, "Yeah." In a strangled voice.

"See, Yuno agrees!" She chirped, still trying to encourage them.

"I'm not sure that's agreement..." Finral whispered, mostly to himself.

"Anyways," She continued, either having not heard or ignored Finral, "Klaus, you should probably get back to bed, you need to rest."

"Shouldn't you?" Yuno muttered behind her, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She ignored him.

"Wait, Mimosa," Klaus said, taking his hand down from his face, "what about you? You got injured as well."

"Oh, it's nothing serious." She brushed off, trying to be as casual as possible, "Just a few scrapes is all."

"And two broken ribs." Yuno added on, muttering loudly enough so that everyone could hear.

"What?!" Klaus said, whipping his head towards Yuno.

"A twisted ankle, too." Yuno shared, ignoring his increasingly annoyed friend.

"What are you doing up?" Klaus reprimanded, beginning to pace back and forth. "Go back to recovery, right now!"

"She can't." Yuno replied, talking before Mimosa could even try and find a way out.

"Why?" He paused mid-step, curious.

"Because she didn't get a recovery room in the first place. She got healed by a spell after battle and that was it." Yuno supplied.

"Mimosa, is this true?" Klaus asked, turning to her with surprise evident in his eyes.

"I'm fine, nothing I haven't been trained for." She replied with, an uneasy smile on her face.

He hated the way she said that, like it was okay, like it was normal. She was a kid, but she defended the idea that she didn't need medical attention, despite the abundant evidence to the contrary, with a strange vigor. It was too familiar, and he didn't care for it.

"Mimosa, I'm fine, really." He said, trying to put her worries to rest, "There's no need to look after me, go get some help."

"I'm royalty," She reminded, a slightly confused air about her, "it'd be shameful for me to get help before everyone's been treated."

"I understand that, however, a leader is no use to anyone if they overwork themselves." He gently explained, feeling a bit hypocritical, "There's no shame in accepting that, and it does seem like everyone's doing alright."

"Perhaps I can go rest a bit," She conceded, feeling the weight of her exhaustion crush her, "later."

Well, later was better than nothing, Klaus silently accepted in the form of a nod. Although, he was beginning to feel a bit worn out as well, his head was starting to feel light and filled with sharp bits of static. He looked at the bed and sighed, it seemed like Mimosa would also be getting what she wanted.

He started to trudge over to his bed, a wearied look to him. As he got in, Mimosa and Yuno silent in their shared victory, he adjusted the blankets around him to make for a suitable resting place. Finral felt a little out of place, at first he'd come just to check on him, but everything had spiralled from there and now he wasn't sure what to do. He had to get back to the Black Bulls anyways, and visit Langris, though he was hesitant to do so. It's not that he hated his brother now, but there was some stuff he had to process before he could see him. But that could wait a bit longer.

"I have to leave," Finral said, directing it towards the person in the bed, "but I'll be back later, alright?"

Klaus waved him off, he wasn't sure why Finral felt the need to say that, but he wasn't going to complain. Yuno and Mimosa didn't react to it at all, they couldn't say it really affected them either way, but they'd tolerate him, for now. It was possible they'd come around at some point, and befriend Finral, but it didn't seem likely at the moment.

"Say hi to Asta, Vanessa, and Luck for me." Klaus added after a moment of thought.

Finral paused, he wasn't aware that Klaus had befriended more members of his squad, especially Luck. Klaus' more serious disposition seemed like it'd be a poor fit for Luck's more... excited personality. But as surprising as it was, he was just happy that his squad hadn't embarassed themselves or tried to grill Klaus. He tried not to look at Mimosa, he wasn't sure if he was out of the woods yet.

"Okay, can do!" Finral replied, trying to add a bit of excitement to his voice.

He opened a portal, waving goodbye to everyone standing there, before stepping through. Within a second the swirling pool of magic vanished, taking him along with it. The room was silent after he'd left, once again, full of people who felt incredibly awkward with each other at the moment.

"Have you eaten yet?" Mimosa piped up, looking down at Klaus.

"I haven't." He answered, trying not to let surpise drip into his voice.

"Oh dear. I'm sure one of the kitchens has some soup, I'll go get some." She said, turning towards the door.

"I got it." Yuno muttered, making it to the door before her.

She stopped and let him do so, trying her best to mask the growing frustration within her. She wasn't a kid, and it's not like Yuno hadn't got hurt as well, but he was still acting like she couldn't do anything. It was soup! A few hundred feet of walking at most, and some minor haggling with the cooks to let her take food from the Senior Knights kitchen, that's all it was! But she masked it with a placid expression, as always, and tried not to let it bother her.

Yuno walked out, unaware of his impact on other people, only focused on food. Mimosa smoothed out her robe, crushing wrinkles instead of someone's head. Perhaps she needed a new hobby to push all this energy into, maybe painting, or sewing. She thought of all the pins and sharp objects involved in sewing and promptly removed it from the list, and decided to table her decision making for later.

She turned to Klaus, a number of conversation starters in her head, but a knock on the door disrupted her thoughts. The two of them turned towards it, expecting to see Yuno again, perhaps he'd forgotten something. Instead, two unfamiliar figures entered. Both regally outfitted in modest but expensive clothes, dark colors saturating both of them, followed by what looked to be a butler of indeterminate age, a standard for many noble outings.

One was an older woman, pointed bangs swept to the side in a careful and deliberate styling, while the rest of her lighter blue hair was pulled into a high bun. Her face was cold, more annoyed than anything else, and her hands clasped together in front of her in a practiced manner. The man next to her was tall and severe, stereotypical in looks for a noble man, a carefully groomed mustache planted on his face. Rings on their hands indicated they were married, yet they looked loathe to even touch, a peculiar pair indeed.

"Hello, how may I help you?" Mimosa greeted, a bit unsure of how to react.

They glanced at her with a calculated look before the woman opened her mouth, a clipped and serious voice falling out, "I was informed my son was here, it's urgent we speak with him."

"Oh, well, what's his-" She answered, a sinking feeling that she already knew who it was.

"Mimosa." A voice spoke up from behind her, she turned to look at him, and nodded as she started making her way to the other side of the bed.

"Hello." Klaus muttered, staring at them with the most neutral look he could muster, "Mother, Father."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, my vision has gotten exponentially worse over the school year. Like at the beginning, I had 1080 p vision and just needed glasses to not have headaches, but now it's the seeing equivalent of a buffering video thats either 144 to 480 pixels with lots of migraines and glasses are a 4g network that works but costs way too much money and also makes you look fucking stupid, because big eyes were not built for my face I'll tell you that.
> 
> Also poor Hamòn, he's witness to this whole damn mess, poor boy just wants sleep. Also at some points the narration got, really sarcastic? I think I'm just tired of emotional angst because the emotional whiplash is real. Also half the time I write anything happening, just know I'm constantly muttering "This is so stupid," just letting you know I'm aware. Also, did I really need to include his parents? No, but I spent 20 minutes coming up with their names based off of Germanic and French roots and steel magic so I'm not letting it go to waste.


	8. Goodbye, Sweet Expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, I know it's been four months... I don't really have a valid excuse I've just been busy with all sorts of random things. Mostly school. I hate school. But now that I'm in quarantine I have time! Yay! But not yay because it's actually terrifying and awful, but whatever. Anyways, enjoy the last chapter, it's truly been a wonderful experience! Thank you all so much!

It was like he was a kid again, frozen, unable to talk beyond a few measured words. He wasn't prepared for this, and how could he be? He hadn't seen them in years, they hadn't spoken to him or written, just... nothing! And here they were, cold and brash, acting like nothing had changed. However, the one thing they hadn't accounted for, was Mimosa.

"Ah! So you two are Klaus' parents! What a pleasure to meet you," She smiled, sticking her hand out over the bed, "I'm Mimosa Vermillion."

It took a second before either of them responded, connecting her to a last name they'd heard uttered in pure reverence and praise for decades. There was brief moment before the man gently coughed into his fist and stuck his hand out to greet the young girl.

"Matisse Lefer Lunettes, my lady." He replied, shaking her hand in a firm manner.

The woman slipped her palm in as soon as her husband had vacated, swift and forceful. "Ahelis Kohlenstoff Lunettes, your majesty."

"Oh please, just Mimosa!" She chuckled, a little unnerved by their mannerisms.

"If that's what you desire, Ms. Mimosa." Matisse answered, a severe look in his eyes.

She laughed in response, brushing it off like she had before with so many other people. Judging from they way they talked and carried themselves, they only saw her status. It wasn't unusual, always a little disheartening at first, but a constant pain she'd gotten used to.

"It's really no bother to me, I'm here as magic knight after all!" She said, a placid smile pasted onto her face.

"Of course." The man replied, trying to play to her, "It's imperative to get real world experience, can't get anywhere in life without that."

"Yes, I've learned quite a bit." She easily responded, a nervous suspicion starting to form in her mind, "Of course, I have Klaus to thank for a good amount. He's been very helpful as my senior."

"Oh, I'd hope so, anything less would be dreadful." Matisse chuckled, lacking the sparkle of real humor in his eyes.

"No need to worry! He's been nothing but cordial and polite." She assuaged, feeling the nicities simply slide out of her mouth, almost slimy in a sense.

"Really?" Matisse responded, taking the answer with apparent satisfaction, "I'm glad he could be of service. It's our honor to do so, as nobles."

"Right..." She said, her mind starting to form connections.

She threw a quick glance to the person in question, still sitting silent in his bed. He was staring at his hands, closed together in a tight grip on the blanket covering him. He was scary still, head bowed, and his face devoid of any emotion. It wasn't normal, and she didn't like it.

"But I'm afraid that a visit must be postponed, he needs some time to recover." She explained, her saccharine voice ringing through the room.

"Nonsense," Matisse lightly chastised, as if she were a dog that hadn't rolled over correctly. "he's already awake and talking."

"And it's taken a great deal of energy for him to do so, I am terribly sorry, perhaps you can arrange something else?" She suggested, refusing to budge on the issue.

"It's so wonderful he has such... considerate subordinates." The smartly-dressed man smiled, mulling the word over in his mouth, "Of course, one must draw the line somewhere, healthy concern and fraternization must be kept separate after all."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Mimosa said, taking the thinly veiled warning in stride, "Now, if you'd allow me to show you out-"

"Are you really denying us the chance to speak to our son?" The woman -- Ahelis, Mimosa corrected herself -- spoke up, an affronted look carefully pieced onto her cold features, "Must you be so cruel? We've been unable to see him for such a long while, truly, you must permit us to stay."

"And again, I do apologize, but, it's for Klaus' health that he have longer to rest before any stressful activities." Mimosa repeated, beginning to feel an itch of agitation, "That does include family visits."

"On who's orders?" Ahelis challenged, her voice still stained by the facade of tremendous concern, "If I have to, I'll speak to them myself."

"Mine." Mimosa answered, progressively losing her outer shell as her disposition became more stern, "Due to most of the Golden Dawn being incapacitated, including our Captain and Vice Captain, I've taken it upon myself to decide what's best for my fellow squadmates. It's my duty as royalty, I simply have to follow through."

It was a complete lie, but they wouldn't listen unless she made it absolutely clear that their presence wasn't to be tolerated. Of course, if she said anything with enough confidence and a small mention of her lineage, people had a tendency to listen. However, if they chose to remain stubborn, there was no current security to pull them away, the only people left were her and... Yuno! That's it! Her backup plan had been decided, if everything else failed, she'd use Yuno as muscle. Metaphorically. This still meant she had to wait for him, but soup couldn't possibly take that long... could it?

"But we're his flesh and blood, surely you trust that we know what's best." Ahelis began to plead, demurely placing a hand to her chest, "Family is so very key to us, it's our pride and joy."

"That is incredibly touching, but you must understand this is all for your son's benefit." Mimosa said, continuing to maintain eye contact with the woman, "As his teammate, I'm simply looking out for his best interests."

"And as his parents, we have a better idea of what those are." Ahelis serenely put, changing tactics to imitate Mimosa's earlier overly polite demeanor. "I do believe you care about him, but you must take into consideration the short period of time you've known him for. Six months of professional interactions can be much less personal than eighteen years of careful guidance."

"Perhaps." She admitted through her cracking mask, a surge of determination selling up within her, "But your numbers may be off, subtracting three from eighteen would be the correct number. And three years is more than enough for someone's goals to change."

"What could you be implying, Ms. Vermillion?" Ahelis asked, her right eye beginning to tense in an unusual manner.

"Well, whatever business prevented you from speaking to him for a "long while", must've been absolutely dreadful, for you not to even send a letter during Klaus' time with the Golden Dawn." She sighed, an exaggerated gesture of false sympathy. "And while I feel nothing but the deepest guilt and remorse for having to play the villain to such wonderful and caring parents, I'm afraid I have no other choice."

"Oh, Ms. Vermillion, it's quite unbecoming of a lady of your status to speak of such matters, especially ones you seem to be ignorant about." Ahelis smiled in a patronizing manner, refusing to be brought down by a child.

"One can't stick to the Status Quo and expect great rewards," Mimosa calmly retorted, starting to feel much more inclined to a physical removal of the couple. "at least that's what I've noticed. Now if you could please leave before I have to resort to other measures-"

"Surely you can't be saying what I think you are!" Ahelis cried out, turning towards her husband and pressing against his chest in a show of great sorrow and horror, "What has this world come to, where a family cannot even converse with their own progeny! Truly, what would your cousins say!?"

"They'd understand and recognize my authority on the matter. I may be young, Mrs. Lunettes, but don't expect me to play the part of an airheaded, foolhardy girl when it comes to hard decisions, I am no weakling." Mimosa darkly warned, letting bits of her repressed anger seep through and tangle in her words. "I am a proud member of House Vermillion and of the Golden Dawn, I hold the other members of these establishments in the utmost regard, and I refuse to let them down. I have responsibilities to uphold, a kingdom to defend, and no time for your disrespect."

"Are all members of the royal houses such tyrants!?" The woman continued wailing, a dramatic risk on her part, "What pity, power and resources wasted on foolish dreams and fantastical claims of superiority from but one child! And from such an arrogant one! Was she not the one who allowed herself to be hurt by enemies many times over in battle, forcing those around her to risk their lives to save her, my son among them? Yet, she still stands before us, a bereaved husband and wife, and refuse to let us see our only child? Oh, darling," she reached up, touching the side of her silent husbands face, "tell me it's not so!"

"My dear," He replied in a low voice, in such perfect emotion it seemed wrong, "I wish I could. I long to alleviate your distress in anyway possible, such a wonderful creature like you shouldn't ever feel this kind of pain-"

"As beautiful as this display of your... affection for each other is, I'm afraid this is my last warning." Mimosa interrupted, effectively shutting it down, "Leave or I will be forced to take drastic measures."

"You cannot speak for our son on this matter, how hypocritical, to claim to care for him yet not even ask his stance!" Matisse turned to Mimosa, having no more patience for a polite conversation.

"I've asked you to leave, repeatedly-" Mimosa continued, trying to remain as composed as possible.

"You harlot! Someone in your position would do well to placate me! It matters nought if you're royalty, your precious Golden Dawn is under investigation for treason, and as a member of the court, I wouldn't hesitate to disband it, or better yet, call for the imprisonment of the whole lot!" He seethed, forgoing any sort of civility he'd possessed.

"Father!" Klaus' voice rang out, he'd finally spoken, and in utter horror and shock.

"Don't speak to me, you horrendous failure!" Matisse whipped around, indiscriminately unleashing his wrath, "You've tarnished our name with your weakness! We were considering being merciful, and having you release your position as a magic knight, and letting you marry to continue our bloodline, but it seems even our well has run dry!"

"You stop that!" Mimosa yelled, letting go of any inhibitions she'd had, "You have no right to come in here and insult him!"

"And you!" Matisse turned, staring at her with a horrible kind of rage, "You _bitch_-"

"That's enough!" Another voice rang out, from the doorway, "What's going on here?"

Mimosa immediately recognized the familiar messy and disregarded hair, along with the the voice, but it was so unusual for it to be spoken with such passion. Yuno stood there, tray of soup in hand, utterly confused as to what was going on. It was silent for a moment before someone answered.

"Ah! Wonderful, someone reasonable!" Matisse started, voice much more jovial, "This girl keeps insisting that we leave, and we're simply trying to visit our son-"

"I didn't ask you." Yuno said, cutting the man off, an annoyed lilt to his voice, "Mimosa?"

"I explained that Klaus needs more time to rest before we allow outside visitors," she nodded towards her teammate, silently telling him to go along with it, "even if they're family."

Yuno took a beat to process it. Klaus had visitors. That were family. And apparently yelling at Mimosa. Great.

"Right. Yes." He muttered in response, trying to collect his scattered thoughts, "I believe the issue's been resolved then."

"What?" Matisse spit out, taken aback, "How can you let her do that? Is there no respect in this squad?!"

"Father," Klaus' voice rose up, tense and almost shaky but still there, "you heard them, and they asked you to leave."

"You're letting _them_ speak for you?" Matisse indignantly asked, an element of disbelief in his voice, "What kind of leader does that? What kind of man let's that happen?"

Klaus took a deep breath in, feeling his grip on the blanket tighten, "As their leader, I won't allow them to be disrespected, even by you. So, leave."

"Oh?" He replied, contemplative for a brief second, the calm before a raging, turbulent storm, "Really? That's all you can do?"

"Huh?" Klaus answered, dumbfounded.

"Even when you defy us, an action of unprecedented foolishness and boldness, you're so disappointing about it." Matisse sighed, almost suppressing a chuckle, "It's annoying to know that _you_ are what I've wasted so much time and effort on. And to think, we would've spared you against the punishment to come. But you insist on being so pathetically difficult about it, there's no real point. So sit there, you utter disgrace, and watch as everything falls apart because you did nothing, because you were worthless-"

"That's enough!" Yuno cut in, sharing in Mimosa's anger.

"And who are you to question him?" Ahelis questioned, a wiggling doubt in her mind, "Surely, you come from no Noble family I've heard of, and just so, you have no right to intrude on family matters."

"I'm not a noble, I don't have a family name." Yuno spit back, almost feeling proud of it for once, "So it really shouldn't be any of my business, but... you insulted my squad, and that's not something I'll take sitting down."

"Not... a noble?" Ahelis repeated, something like shock hitting her system, "So you're... that child from the forsaken realm! A peasant talking in such a way?"

"A nameless commoner?!" Matisse hissed, a revolted look on his meticulously groomed face, "Daring to speak to us like this?"

"I have a name." The commoner in question deadpanned, "It's Yuno."

"Boy, I care not for your worthless words!" Matisse snapped, nothing in his eyes but contempt, "Obviously this squad has failed, again, if you've been unable to learn your place!"

"What right do you have to speak to him that way?!" Mimosa interjected, glaring as her stern voice echoed.

"What?" Matisse muttered, turning to her, obviously unprepared for her interruption.

"He's a valued member of this team, he's done nothing but more than earn his place as a member of this squad!" She continued, words spilling out as she felt her controlled persona weaken, "And _you_ come here, insult me, insult Yuno, insult your _son_, and act offended when we don't like it? That much arrogance and entitlement is utterly horrifying and genuinely baffling! So, yes, how dare you!?"

Klaus looked up at Mimosa, shocked by her bold and impassioned words, he'd never seen someone do this before. No one, even those in power, spoke with such support for the ignored, the downtrodden, especially against their own ilk. He really hadn't expected them to act so... well, like themselves. He'd thought that Mimosa would've let them by without much thought or consideration, and that Yuno would've just ignored it all. But here they were, standing still, and getting angry instead of letting it slide by.

"You're royalty!" Matisse accused, pointing at her in a vehement attempt to get her to understand him, "And you talk so freely, as if you have no concept of order, or class! You let yourself be degraded by this... _filth!_!" He gestured to Yuno, who's face was getting noticeably darker.

"That's enough!" Klaus shouted, staring at his bedsheets, bunching them into his fists.

"What is it? Another excuse? Another simpering plea? What?!" Matisse yelled, a sarcastic cutting tone to his words.

"I..." Klaus stuttered, mind suddenly blank and tongue heavy in his mouth.

Why was it so hard to say something, to say anything? He swallowed, pretending it was the cold bit of ice that had wedged itself into his heart, freezing any and all motion he had, locking him in place. It wasn't okay, he knew it wasn't okay, but that's how it was, and he'd given up long ago. But... it was different now, _he_ was different. He'd met people that had completely shattered the narrow view he'd been gifted, and then promptly helped him pick up the pieces, tossing them aside. There was something else besides the path presented before him, possibilities that hadn't been comprehensible at first, there was hope.

He steadied his unsure voice, "Yuno and Mimosa are wonderful magic knights, and nothing has brought me more honour and pride than having been able to help guide them. So... for all you can do to me that I will tolerate, insulting them is not a part of it."

"Nothing has brought you more pride or honour?" Ahelis repeated, bleak and with sarcastic undertone to her low voice, "Has your head been hit or have you always been this foolish? Your purpose, what we've spent so long teaching you, is to be a Noble. It's to give everything to your name and your kingdom, to do whatever it takes to rise and keep rising."

"And it was all going so well, being a part of the Golden Dawn was perfect for what was needed, and even then, it still went wrong." Matisse sighed, throwing his hand back in a jerky motion, "You've become a blight to our name, you've disgraced your kingdom by turning against it, and by attacking the Royal Capital! You dare speak of pride and honour when you'd be lucky to still hang your head and beg for mercy in front of the courts?!"

"I'll accept responsibility for the part I played." He muttered, feeling his determination begin to fade, "And if it's required, I'll... relinquish my position as a magic knight."

The last of his words were drenched in such hesitation, drowning in regret, absolutely soaked in the mixture of the two. It was the worst case scenario, he hated even considering the possibility, but the likelihood of it occurring was increasing. He wouldn't do it for them, to try and salvage whatever pride they deemed so important, he'd do it because he felt it was fair, because it was the right thing to do.

"You will?" Ahelis asked, the harsher lines of her face smoothing out as it returned to a more neutral state, "You've finally come to see reason, have you?"

"That's... a welcome bit of news," Matisse coughed, reigning in his anger, "It's good you understand what needs to be done, although, don't expect me to forget about this little... show you put on. Acting like that is unbecoming of your status."

"It's feckless, really." Ahelis agreed, nodding her head in a careful manner, "At least you came to your senses, dear. Now, why don't you bid farewell to these... people, and then we can get you situated back at the house, hm?"

She reached down to pat his face, a gesture reserved for when he'd done something acceptable for her. He barely kept himself from flinching away, and stared straight forward, trying to ignore his subordinates shocked faces. Her fingertips were cold, little pieces of harsh ice merely sculpted to look human, light and utterly revolted to be touching him, she pulled away only after a few taps. He felt his will sap, the only thing he'd gained through his time as a magic knight was more to lose, and a desperate sort of longing for it to be the same. He couldn't just leave, there was so much he had to do, what about everyone else?

"No, you can't-" Mimosa tried to interject, face twisting as she tried to keep herself civil.

"Stay out of this," Matisse sharply said, cutting her off, "you have no say in it, royal."

"Klaus, please, you can't leave!" She began to plead, ignoring the man to look at her friend.

He was dead silent, unsure of what to do or what to say. Was he really so unprepared for this, so entirely useless, that all he could was shut down when confronted with the situation? He felt words bloom and wither in his throat, changing each second as his heart pounded, he had a choice. All he had to do was decide what his future would be. Simple, right?

"Come, there's no time to waste mourning something inconsequential." Ahelis signed, turning towards the boy in bed, "It's no real loss, you weren't cut out for this anyways."

"Truly, an understatement." Matisse rolled his eyes, "One would think he would possess enough sense as to properly instill discipline into his charges, but obviously, he's lacking in the area."

"Three years was too long I suppose, lessons do tend to wear off after some time." Ahelis commented, turning towards the silent butler, "Bring the carriage around, and be timely about it."

"Wait, you can't be serious." Yuno said, face openly displaying his confusion.

"There's no time for jokes in a mess like this." Matisse brushed off, ready to leave, "And certainly not for you."

"B-But he can't..." Yuno trailed off, mind spinning as each second ticked by.

"You can't just take him! Th-There's things to process and channels to go through!" Mimosa threw out, her gestures becoming more wild and uncontrolled.

"As it stands, your squad is in utter disarray, and as such, we are assuming responsibility for our kin." Matisse said, glancing down at her with an almost disgusted look, "There's nothing you can do about that, is there?"

"That's not the point!" Yuno shot back, louder and with a focused voice.

"Oh? And what is?" Ahelis said, with a flat and neutral face.

"I..." Yuno trailed off, glancing down at the ground.

"The point," Mimosa picked up, voice loud and brash, "is that it's unprofessional in the highest sense!"

"Ms. Vermillion, perhaps you should reconsider your standpoint on 'professionalism' if this is how you react to conflict." Matisse chastised, a more fulfilled look on his face, smile warped with haughty satisfaction.

Her face twisted violently, brows pushing down with enthusiastic force as her mouth began to twitch. Burning blood began to flood through her, pounding and dizzying in it's sweeping rush of pure, invigorating anger. Everything about these people made it worse, made it harder to keep above the swirling and clamoring pool, she had to stomach so much to get where she was. Was this her breaking point, could she really not handle anymore?

"Perhaps _you_ should reconsider your status as a parent if that's how you treat your son." She spit out, eye twitching erratically.

The room went silent and her words died out on the stone walls. Her body was still tense, refusing to move a single inch as her eyes continued to narrow. The two older nobles had been struck with an icy shock, cold and seeping, it had quickly covered them with a quiet sense of realization. As their initial, more calm, reaction subsided, they could find nothing but a venomous need to retaliate against her.

"Ms. Vermillion, this behavior is extraordinarily immature, and incredibly insulting." Matisse replied through gritted teeth, a barely noticeable vein protruding from his forehead.

"I truly do not know how to respond to such an accusation, especially one so... weighted." Ahelis sighed, a warbling note to her otherwise flat voice.

"What 'accusation'?" Yuno said, rolling over their words with little care, "It's a fact, or have you not been paying attention to yourselves this whole time?"

"Oh? Does the rabble have something to add?" Matisse replied, a relaxed and easy smile on his face as the words fell easily from his mouth.

"My name, again, is Yuno, and, yeah, I do." Yuno said, beginning to let his voice get terse and short, "You're not taking him, not if I have a say in it."

"That's cute," Ahelis sighed, glancing over her shoulder towards her husband, "struggling so feebly, quite like a drowning mutt, no?"

"You've taken the words right out of my mouth." Matisse laughed, staring back at her, "It'd almost be hilarious if it weren't so sad."

"Oh, no, there's still great humour in it, regardless of the situation." She easily replied, tilting her head and shyly hiding her mouth.

"I suppose you're right, darling." Matisse said, keeping his volume loud and steady.

Klaus' nails continued to dig into the thin sheet of fabric on top of him, the feeling made his skin crawl and goosebumps rise, but it kept him grounded. At least it prevented him from trying to retreat into his own head, even though that really wasn't much of a comfort. He had to stay in the moment, despite every second bringing a new, painful wave of emotions. But couldn't it just slow down, for one small second?

"Now, we really have no more of the day to waste." Ahelis said, turning over her shoulder to look at Klaus, "It's time to leave."

If he followed her orders, that meant leaving everything behind, everything he'd come to care for. And it'd all finally aligned, hadn't it? Well, there was the small issue of half the magic knights having been possessed by murderous elves, but that was something to adress at another point in time. But besides that, he'd finally been able to open up, to take a chance for once in his life, and succeed. But they'd be horrified with Finral, his parents were already displeased with Mimosa and Yuno, so who was to say what they'd do if they found out about him.

"Did you not hear me?" Ahelis said, pausing a few feet away from his bed, "We must be leaving now."

"It'd be wise to listen to her, you're still treading on rather thin ice." Matisse mumbled, walking past Yuno to stand in the doorway.

He still didn't move. Even if he couldn't be exceptionally brave, he wouldn't let everything fall apart. It was a small act, but so utterly nerve wracking that most of his effort was dedicated to keeping his body still.

"Oh? Have you lost your hearing?" Ahelis queried, tilting her head to the side, "There's really no other reason for you to not be moving."

Keeping his head bowed, he turned it ever so slightly away from her. It was an insult, to show such disrespect, even through nothing but the barest twitch of muscle. He tried not to wince as he heard her clothes shift, the pounds of modest looking fabric scraping against the ground as she presumably studying him with a curious look.

"You're not so foolhardy as to even be considering the possibility of not coming with us, right?" She asked, voice absolutely sopping with disbelief.

He didn't answer. He really didn't have to, she had already figured that was the case.

"Has your sanity been so depleted by these... children, that you're truly casting us aside? Us?" Ahelis continued, trying to catch his eye.

"I never... I never said I'd leave with you." Klaus muttered, staring at the bed sheets with a vigor that had been previously unknown. "I'm only going to do what I think is right, nothing else."

"Oh? What you think is right?" Ahelis repeated, a laugh squeezing its way into her words, "That's what you're so pressed about, something so inconsequential? Does it feel good, playing the part of an oh-so righteous saint?"

"That's not why I'm staying." He muttered, a small sting digging into the back of his eye, "I'm doing this because I... want to."

Did he really need another reason? He could've explained it as logically and soundly as possible, and scripted his whole argument to be entirely agreeable. He could've tried to summarize what it was like to be near people who treated him not with cordial, careful conversation, but with lively, energetic and caring words. People who cared not for his status or their own, looking right past everything that had supposedly made him amazing, and coaxing out the parts he'd kept hidden, all quantized with neutral and cynical sentences. But why should he have to do that? For people who'd still scoff at the supposed naivete he was showing, there was no point in going through all the effort.

"Huh?" She said, letting her surprise be known.

"I said, I'm staying because I want to." Klaus stated, louder and with more enthusiasm.

"Because you... want to." Ahelis softly repeated, letting her face go slack for the briefest of moments.

Klaus tried very hard not to notice Mimosa's relieved face tilting up into a small, almost genuine smile. Or Yuno turning away, fingers no longer fervently pressed in the starched fabric of his sleeves, and if he heard a small, shuddering breath being released, which he didn't, he would say it was almost touching. But he couldn't get distracted by them, not right now.

"What kind of nonsense is that?" Matisse spit out, butting into the conversation. "What are you, a child? Surely you must be, that's really the only explanation for being such an immature ingrate!"

"I've said my piece," Klaus slowly enunciated, attempting to keep his voice neutral, "and I'm going to have to ask you to listen to my subordinates and leave."

"What?" Matisse began to seethe, "You really think you can do something like this without consequences?"

"Leave." Klaus winced, starting to feel a familiar pressure in his chest.

"Look at me when you talk." Matisse pointedly replied, sharp and quick.

He closed his eyes in response, silently repeating to himself that he didn't have to listen. "I wish you both well."

"Look at me, dammit!" His father exploded, bits of spittle flying across the room, and in his impassioned words he'd let a foot plant itself near the bed, moving him closer to the increasingly anxious magic knight.

A hand quickly found itself digging into the older man's arm, with a clawlike and intense grip, it was almost a surprise that the area didn't immediately start to bruise. Matisse whipped his head towards the source of the sudden pressure, his gaze frantically darting around before it finally settled on the shorter figure. Yuno stood there, eyes hardened into a fierce wall and teeth grinding behind pressed lips.

"It's time to go." It wasn't a suggestion, not one inch of his voice gave way to any sort of warmth..

"What?" Matisse stuttered, caught off guard.

"I said," Yuno repeated, mouth formed in something akin to a snarl, "you're leaving, now."

"Let go of me, you filthy bastard!" He shot back, low and reverberating, trying to wrench his hand out of Yuno's vice-like grip.

With great hesitation, Yuno let his grip go flat and his hand drift back to his side, carefully eyeing the older man as he continued to loudly exhale. He'd always hated those who placed themselves above everyone, looking down and laughing for no other reason than that they were born atop their gleaming thrones. The snobbish elite, the ones that would gleefully turn on each other, so unused to people fighting back, always tended to dissapoint him. But for this one to have no qualms about violently lashing out at family, a thought Yuno internally winced at, was just enraging.

Klaus was many things, arrogant, pushy, all too easy to anger, and way too concerned about his juniors to be healthy, all traits Yuno begrudgingly put up with. But his friend, he didn't even pause to think over his choice of the word, was also determined, caring, and incredibly loyal, to the point that even Yuno was silently impressed sometimes. While Asta's familiar words about blood relations ran through his head again, muddied and smudged with time, the message rang surprisingly clear. He hadn't really understood it at the time, but Asta had sounded so determined and excited that he couldn't help but go along.

He'd thought about it in the dungeon, when he'd first referred to someone as his friend, besides Asta or the other Hage children. It had been a spur of the moment thing, that both Mimosa and Klaus had eagerly responded to, in a way he hadn't really expected. At first they'd been so eager to write him off as good for nothing, especially Klaus, but for some reason, those words and his determination, along with Asta's, had certainly changed their way of acting. It was odd, but he didn't hate it, and, he supposed, perhaps he came to even enjoy it.

With all this weighing on his head, what should've been a rational response was quickly distorted into a impudent act of defiance and protection. Fuck being cool and collected, he thought, his hand curling into a shaking fist.

"Get the hell out." Yuno seethed, glaring at the noble from under his disregarded hair.

"Huh?" Matisse muttered, not quite catching the hissed words.

"Get out!" Yuno shouted, feeling the pressure in the room skyrocket as all eyes fixated on him.

"What did you say to me?" Matisse asked, pupils shrinking as he took a step towards Yuno, towering over the boy.

"You heard me." Yuno spit back, refusing to move.

"I'm giving you a chance to rescind your words," He slowly enunciated, bringing his mana close to formation in a silent threat. "Be grateful."

"Shove it up your ass." Yuno replied, a vein beginning to show itself on his face.

"Strong words from such a weak brat." Was all the man said, continuing to stare down the shorter boy.

"I'll show you who's weak." Yuno said, squaring his shoulders and tensing his fists.

"That's enough!" A voice cut through, echoing off the cold stone walls.

They both turned their heads towards the source, gazes falling upon the bed once again.

"Klaus?" Yuno stuttered, almost taking an involuntary step back before grounding himself.

"Father," Klaus sternly put forth, staring straight at the man on question, "I've told you to leave, so take a hint, and do so."

"You miserable whelp, who the hell do you think you are? Fancy yourself someone with an actual spine?!" Matisse shot back, taking another step towards the bed. 

"Get back!" Yuno growled, once again latching onto Matisse's arm in an effort to pull him away.

"Release me before I skewer you like the piece of meat you are!" Matisse screamed, violently turning and leaning towards the boy.

"You will _not_ threaten my friends!" Klaus shouted, attempting to stamp out his words in an instant.

"Oh, "friends"?" Matisse repeated, stressing the word in a patronizing tone, "Is that you see them as?"

Klaus was still and silent, still keeping an intense gaze on the older, immaculately dressed man. Short, heavy breaths filled his ears, a rhythmic sound to keep himself sorted.

"It's adorable you think that way, pet." Ahelis said, taking small steps towards her husband, "But that's so incredibly foolish, they're pawns, nothing more."

"And even as pawns, they're damn near useless!" Matisse cut in, a frenzied look in his eye, "A peasant runt and an idiotic royal girl? How are they supposed to help you? To help us?"

"Who cares if they help you or not?!" Klaus groaned, throwing his hands out in an exaggerated gesture of exasperation. "That's not their purpose!"

"Then, my oh-so-gracious child, do you care to enlighten me on why you deem them so important?" Matisse sardonically asked, sweeping his arms out in an extended gesture.

"I don't know!" Klaus exploded, letting all hesitation slip away, "They're difficult, and unruly, and more petulant than any child I've ever had the displeasure of meeting! It's been the most frustrating six months of my life trying to get them to listen to me!"

"Come again?" Ahelis said, a reflexive response.

"They're impudent, rash, and they never follow any of my orders!" He continued on, ignoring the interruption, "But... they've taught me about things I never knew, things I never cared about before, determination, perseverance, friends! They don't need to have a cut and clear purpose, because that's not how this is supposed to be!" He gestured to his parents and then to himself.

"What do you mean by "this"?" Matisse grumbled, bringing his hands up for physical quotation marks.

"Human interaction, interpersonal relationships, family? Take your pick!" Klaus crescendoed, continuing to raise his voice several octaves, "It's not supposed to be a carefully staged performance, not every word is a move for power, it's maddening living that way!"

"You dare lecture me on family? After everything we've sacrificed to get you this far?" Matisse shouted, strands of hair beginning to fall out of their gelled place. "You compare people like this to us? Have you no respect?!"

"For you? There's none to be found here." Klaus succinctly stated, the beats of his rapid heart being felt in his finger tips.

"Is that so?" Matisse quietly rejoined, voice finally reigned into something reminiscent of his cool and collected persona.

"If you choose to dig your grave in such a way, who are we to intervene?" Ahelis sighed, turning her back a way from him, "You'll stumble upon the consequences soon enough."

"You think you can survive without our influence? Our power?" Matisse laughed, a raucous noise despite such a vacant look in his eye, slowly drawing out his words, "Alright. But! Don't assume you can call on us as family anymore."

A deep breath was all it took. "Fine by me."

"You'll see us again, but it won't be under such favorable circumstances." Aheli announced, still facing the doorway, hands firmly clasped in front of her, "Farewell."

"Goodbye." He let the formality slip out, having little time to process how final it would truly be.

There was no response as she turned her head, and began her way out of the room, briefly stopping by her husband as a small signal to leave. Matisse gave one last scathing look at the occupants of the makeshift recovery area, he visibly bit down a comment before stiffly following Ahelis. It was easier to tell the difference between their echoing footsteps, one was light, rhythmic and consistent, a tell tale sign of continuous practice; however, the tapping of shoes on time was drowned out by a thunderous accompaniment, one that didn't fade until almost a minute had passed.

Even after each nervous, excruciating second passed, no one dared to breathe, no louder than they could help. The stone tile had made it so unwelcoming and cold before, a smooth, gray, and imposing carpet and wallpaper, but now it felt like they were being carefully baked, sweat slowly dripping down their faces as the temperature seemed to rise. It had been almost five minutes before someone finally moved, silently slumping over as a great amount of tension released, her bright orange hair spilling over her shoulders. Mimosa let herself take in a gulp of air, like it was the most delectable dish ever dreamed of being presented to her after days of intense hunger and starvation.

She slowly squared her shoulders, bringing herself back to a more neutral posture, letting her eyes close as she wiped a bead of sweat off of her forehead. It had stuck to her hair, making the whole thing rather uncomfortable and sticky, it was times like these where she fantasized about taking a pair of scissors to it, inelegantly shearing locks off of her carefully tamed mane. As she shook her head, both clearing her mind and letting air flow to her face, she turned towards her senior, and without a moment of hesitation, collapsed into a hug, clinging to her friend hard enough to almost hurt him.

It had probably been the thing Klaus had been least expecting, to be honest, he'd almost expected them to be angry, at him, for some reason. Thinking back on it, he wasn't sure why his mind had been so resolute on that subject, now it seemed almost paranoid. Lost in his thoughts, it took him a beat to notice her shaking, and that his collar had begun to dampen. She pushed herself off, tightly gripping his shoulder, and glaring with watery eyes.

"Are you okay?" She choked out, a flurry of emotion lurking beneath her voice.

"Huh?" It took a lot to catch him off guard, and unfortunately, her concern was enough.

"Your parents..." She trailed off, leaving the sentence unspoken but still understood.

"Oh." He muttered, looking away from her, "I... don't know."

"Right." She sighed, dipping her head for a moment before popping back up, "You know... I wouldn't usually say this, but, I'd miss you, if you left."

"T-that's..." He really wanted to say it was too much, but after a solid glance at her face, he quickly shut up.

"You're my friend, and I wouldn't know what to do if you weren't here. You know how stupid I can be," She rushed on, catching on certain words, "and Yuno would be insufferably angsty about it, and I..."

"M-Mimosa?" He cautiously said, a dash of worry threading it's way into his voice.

"I... couldn't stand it if you left." Her voice finally cracked, and caved under all her stress, mountains of ignored stress and suppressed emotions about the last few days finally shifted, and everything came avalanching down, tears dripping off her chin at an alarming rate, "I know you think I'm dull, a-and an airhead, and I'm so sorry f-for never listening to you, and making everything harder, but please... don't leave us!"

"This is just embarrassing now..." Yuno staunchly muttered, throwing together a veneer of apathetic annoyance.

"Oh, shut up!" Mimosa threw out, turning towards him with a glare, "For once, stop being an asshole!"

He twitched, taking a small step back, stiff but silent.

"M-Mimosa, it's fine, really." Klaus tried to assuage her, attempting a relaxed smile, "I'm staying, don't worry."

"I know, but... they seemed so confident you'd go with them, and it was all happening so fast..." She seemed a bit off kilter, the past few days had still been quite a shock to her system, and the added stress of his parents hadn't helped 

"I'm sorry, neither of you should've had to deal with that." He quietly replied, glancing up to only catch Yuno's hesitant eye.

"Huh? What do you mean....?" Mimosa trailed off, her hands frozen in front of her.

"You shouldn't have to defend me, you're still young, that kind of responsibility should fall to me." Klaus sighed, letting his head drop, "If anything, I should be apologizing, to the both of you. As your senior, I haven't done my job to help support you, and now, I've become so weak that I can't even handle my own problems..."

"Quit it!" Yuno interjected, having gotten closer during Klaus' small monologue, standing right next to Mimosa, "I'm not letting you apologize for them! You shouldn't have to!"

"Y-Yuno?" Klaus said, eyes widening as he saw his juniors pinched face.

"I put my trust in you, so you're obviously not weak! You were strong enough to stand up for us, but you should've been more worried about yourself!" Yuno shouted, throwing his hand out for emphasis. "What about your status, your family name, you can't throw that all away! Not for-" He stopped himself.

"Yeah, you've always been so proud of it! And to lose that would be horrible!" Mimosa joined in, eyes still misty and barely under control.

"Well, it's... hard to feel proud of something that came at the cost of other people." Klaus replied, slowly trying to figure out his words, "I'd never thought about it before, how we even got our status, our money... our magic. But it feels wrong to praise it, something I never earned, something they trampled other people for."

"How could you be okay with it? You could be disowned, disgraced, everything you've worked towards, just gone!" Yuno rambled on, his movements becoming more disjointed.

"Not everything. I still have my accomplishments as a magic knight, the people I saved, and... my comrades." He tried not to think about the very real possibility that those would soon vanish, if they weren't already gone.

"But.." Yuno had run out of things to say, it was hard trying to format his disbelief and worry into coherent words.

"Yuno, I'm satisfied with the choice I made." He sighed, looking up at the now flustered boy. "But it's nice to know you're concerned."

"I'm not!" He hissed, shoulders bunched near his ears, trying hard not to step back, "You're still recovering, so obviously your judgement is askew!"

"I don't know, I think it's working fine." Mimosa smiled, gently falling back into their old routine.

"That's rich coming from you." Yuno muttered, crossing his arms and turning his face away from the pair.

"Awww, look! He's emoting!" Mimosa giggled, tapping Klaus' shoulder while pointing in several exaggerated motions.

"Shut up! I'm not!" He said, any attempt at a serious expression dashed by the crimson color of his face.

"Of course. You are the epitome of a coolheaded badass after all." Mimosa said, a note of laughter barely being suppressed.

He didn't even respond, letting his annoyed side glance do the talking for him.

"Does the serious badass want a hug?" Mimosa continued, stick her arms up.

The only indication that she'd been crying only moments ago were her red eyes and the still-wet tear tracks running down from them. She was wearing a patented sarcastic smile, something they'd become accustomed to seeing often.

He turned his head away and tucked his arms even closer to himself, his face twitching as the corners of his mouth inadvertently turned up.

"If you don't eat your soup it's going to get cold." He finally decided to say after a moment of contemplation.

"R-right..." Klaus replied, a look of brief confusion on his face.

Yuno had grabbed the tray from where he'd set it earlier, and was already shoving it into Klaus' hands by the time his response came out of his mouth. The lukewarm broth briefly sloshed side to side as its ownership was transferred, but managed to stay without much of it dripping out.

"Eat." Yuno succinctly stated, his perfected neutral disposition back in working order.

"I'm not sure I have much of an appetite right now..." Klaus awkwardly tried to laugh, but it died out seeing Yuno's face.

"To be fair, you haven't had anything to eat since the Royal Knights banquet, right?" Mimosa turned to him, a carefully worded question to prod him just right.

"Not that I can recall..." He trailed off, realizing the trap she laid got him.

"Well, then you really should have something, food is an important part of recovery." She smiled, staring at him with a carefully made placid expression.

"Really, I'm fine." He sighed, shifting away from her, "You two should go and get some rest, I'm just not that hungry."

"That's bullshit." Yuno grumbled under his breathe.

"Yuno!" Klaus all but gasped, an affronted look ok his face, "Language."

"What he means," Mimosa cut in before Yuno could open his mouth and respond, "is that it would be hard to relax if we're still worried."

"I'm not worried, he's just being evasive!" Yuno added, an edge to his voice.

She have him a hard, long look before turning back around to face Klaus. Yuno was much more compliant from then on.

"Just a few spoonfuls, and then we can go." She offered, placing her fingertips against each other, "That's all."

"You two..." He muttered, pressing his fingers against his temples, "can be really frustrating."

"I think we're aware of that." Mimosa smiled, tilting her head to the side.

"Fine. If having some soup will make you take care of yourselves, then sure." He gave in, reluctantly picking up the spoon handle.

He made a grand show of placing it in his mouth, chewing the meaty parts, and swallowing, all while blankly staring at the pair. They showed no signs of looking away, or leaving, not even a single glance towards the door.

"Well. That was some of it." He decided to pitch in, after seeing that they still hadn't decided to go on their way.

"That was a singular bite. What are you, a rabbit?" Yuno said, crossed arms secured tightly around himself.

"It's not as if I can control my stomach, I'm just not that hungry anymore." He tried to explain, beginning to feel the early exhaustion of his unbridled frustration, "And it's kind of hard to enjoy anything when you're being scrutinized like this."

"Now you're just being difficult." Yuno rolled his eyes, pulling out every textbook move he could.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. He refrained from commenting on his obvious hypocrisy, there were so many examples he could list off the top of his head, did he want them organized by severity or chronological order? There were certainly enough to warrant a possible alphabetical list, if he tried hard enough. But the eyebrow was enough. For now.

"Okay, Yuno, tone it down." Mimosa sighed, waving her hand at him, "It just doesn't work for you."

He looked briefly offended, before softly scoffing and going back to a more stony silence, slowly shaking his head. Mimosa briefly felt a hot drop of laughter try and make its way out of her throat, but a small cough made it dissipate just as quickly as it had appeared.

"Back to the point," she continued, with only a small crack in her voice, "I know it's hard right now, but you still need nutrition."

"I'm not a child." He sighed, squeezing his eyes shut, "I'm aware you mean well, however, I'd rather wait until later to do this."

It was a beat before she replied, "Okay. I think you know what's best for you right now. But just... make sure you eat something at some point, alright?"

"Sure." He said, giving a small nod.

"Okay." She smiled, ignoring the shocked expression of the boy behind her.

"You're not serious... are you?" Yuno said, glancing between the two of them, head shaking with each motion.

She turned to him and offered a smile that didn't do much to ease him, it just deepened the exhaustion in her eyes, "It's been a stressful day, and I think we all need time to process."

He tapped his finger on his arm, the sharp awareness of adrenaline still filling him with coiled energy, ready to burst into action, "Perhaps."

"I'll take that as agreement." She nodded, turning back towards her senior, "We're going to go get some rest, but we'll be back."

"Alright," He replied, "good."

"And-" She pointed at him with a severe expression, "you take care of yourself."

He wanted to roll his eyes, but the heaviness that had washed over him said otherwise, and it was all he could do to issue a nod in response.

"Okay." She sniffed, and turned around, gesturing for Yuno to follow her.

The boy rolled his eyes, but ultimately followed, shooting a small glance to Klaus as he headed towards the door. Klaus was thinking of ways to acknowledge the look without patronizing Yuno, when the exit of his juniors came to an abrupt halt. Mimosa was still, hand pressed to the doorframe, blocking the view into the hallway.

Yuno, curious to the point of breaking his usual nonchalance, glanced around her shoulder and froze on the spot. He quickly took a step back into the room, and let Mimosa handle whatever interaction was to come. Klaus couldn't hear whoever was talking, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to either.

"I'm sorry, we really can't take visitors right now, it's just not a good time." Mimosa tried to laugh, shifting her weight.

The voice was clearer this time, "B-But I was just here!"

"And that was breach of protocol!" She tilted her head and tried not to let the words get too obscured by her grit teeth.

"W-Well..." He chuckled, and Klaus was sure he'd brought his hand up to his hair in an awkward motion, and that the man was refusing to Mimosa's eyes.

"Right. So, if you could please-" Mimosa said, gesturing outside the door.

"It's alright!" Klaus called out, while his two subordinates turned around to face him, "Just let him in!"

"But he's-" Mimosa sputtered, rubbing her forehead and exhaling loudly.

"Please?" He asked, staring at her with an unexpected eagerness.

She wasn't sure when their roles had swapped, but she did not care for it one bit, "Whatever, I'm going to go take a nap."

With a customary wave goodbye, she turned out of the doorway, and Yuno followed in her wake, largely ignoring the outside presence. After a beat, Finral popped his head into the doorway, smiling.

"Is the coast clear?" He asked, his hair awkwardly flopping onto his face.

"Does it matter?" Klaus replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I suppose not." Finral sighed, stepping fully into view.

"I thought you were off to visit the Black Bulls?" Klaus said, pushing himself into a steadier upright position.

"Yeah, well... Yami threatened to kill me at least twice, and Vanessa was mad I wasn't visiting you - something about it being rude - and Luck was much more interested in fighting." He paused, pushing out a breathe, "So, business as usual. But Vanessa got Noelle and Asta to gang up on me until I came back, and I really had no choice in the matter."

"Of course, what a tragedy." Klaus sagely nodded his head, "Truly, an awful burden."

"Ha ha." Finral slowly said, rolling his eyes, "You laugh but I'm lucky I escaped with my life."

"My apologies, I'm well aware of just how terrifying it is to be bullied by teenagers." Klaus tried to make it sound like a joke, but a sliver of grim acknowledgment rang clear.

Finral gave a resigned smile as he pushed away from the doorframe and made his way across the room. He paused as his head briefly scanned the area for chairs, or something of that nature, and sighed as there was nothing in the vicinity. He made the abrupt decision to sit at the end of Klaus' bed, and turned to him with an open expression.

"So, what've you been up to?" Finral asked, shifting to find a more comfortable position, "I assume getting chewed out by your subordinates, but, you know, it never hurts to ask."

Klaus blanched for a moment, feeling a tremor make its way to his hand, and desperately tried to squash it, "O-Oh, well, it really wasn't like that..."

"Are you sure? Because it seemed like Mimosa was out for blood..." He shivered, never thinking he'd ever have to fear someone so short.

"She's been under a lot of stress recently, I'm sure she's just tired." Klaus tried to brush off Finral's comment.

"And Yuno was so quiet! And not like a 'brooding' quiet, but more of a scary kind of quiet, if that makes sense. I don't know, he just seemed on edge." Finral continued as Klaus tried not to look away.

"W-Well..." Klaus stuttered, his hand wrapped tightly in his blanket, "I suppose... something did happen while you were gone

"Oh, that... that doesn't sound good. Do you...uh, want to talk about it?" He muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"Um, I suppose I should explain..." Klaus stopped, trying to organize his thoughts. "What I mean, is that s-some people visited while you were out, they caused a bit of a scene, and really riled Mimosa and Yuno up. But, perhaps, you could say they shared certain... resemblances with me."

Finral cocked his head and was silent for a moment before abruptly recoiling, "No, you don't mean-"

"Unfortunately, I do." Klaus grimaced, looking away.

"That sounds... awful, just, a straight up nightmare." Finral rambled, "Are you alright? That can't have been easy."

"I'm fine." Klaus immediately replied, until Finral raised a questioning eyebrow, and he relented "Well, actually... I... don't really know what to do."

"You don't have to, just... walk me through it, okay?" Finral asked softly, staring at him.

"They... well, honestly, they didn't do, or say, anything I hadn't already prepared for. I figured, at some point, they would've tried to intervene in this whole mess." Klaus said, low and tired, "But it took me off guard when they suddenly showed up, and then when they demanded I resign-"

"They what?!" Finral harshly interrupted in a whisper, leaning over.

He stiffened, and carefully cleared his throat before continuing, "Well, you must understand, this whole... possession mess puts a terrible light on a lot of nobles, especially the ones who's families are in the government-"

"I'm aware! I'm case you forgot, my brother was supposed to marry the Kings great niece! My parents still insist upon that, and his reinstatement as a magic knight!" Finral hissed, nostrils flaring, "So I do understand, and that's the problem, because they're more concerned about their image than anything else!"

"You don't think I know that by now? I'm not that naive." Klaus blankly retaliated, "And I told them as much, but it's not as if that makes it any easier."

"I know, I know..." Finral sighed, rolling his neck, "Sorry I got so heated for a second, I just can't believe they'd walk in and demand that of you, and with Mimosa and Yuno right there..."

"Well, those two handled it brilliantly, better than I did, that's for sure." Klaus looked down briefly, before popping back up, "But, after informing my parents that I would not, in fact, be accompanying them back to our household, they eventually left."

"But it sounds like they put up a fight, are you sure you're alright?" Finral tilted his head.

"They did... threaten some things, and while I know I should be worried about being disowned or cut off, they way they spoke to me and to my friends... I couldn't stand it." Klaus let his head drop, "Just tell me I'm being foolish, I know I am."

"But you're not." Finral instantly responded, a determined look set on his face, "You didn't let them walk all over you, and that's not stupid. Besides, it sounds like they deserved whatever you three threw at them."

"I can't say they didn't have it coming either, waltzing in and having the nerve to insult everyone in eyesight." Klaus muttered, feeling a bit of fire ebb at whatever weight was pressing on him, "They really did just think I'd leave everything!"

"It sounds like they relied more on their supposed power than any sort of common sense or decency." Finral sighed, "That's pretty typical."

"And it's not like it made a whole lot of sense! They threatened imprisonment of the entire Golden Dawn, almost all children of powerful nobles and royals! There's no way the courts would allow such a thing." Klaus continued on, thinking aloud, "Not to mention, if people really thought that there would be a particularly high chance of imprisonment or punishment, wouldn't a good amount of people be scrambling to leave? I just don't get it."

"You do have to consider that they're probably not being logical, they're much more concerned about how this looks to the public eye, and they just didn't want to risk it." Finral shrugged.

"Perhaps." He paused for a bit, before looking back and giving a small smile, "Well, no matter the reason, it was kind of a thrill to speak so freely. Oh! Did I forget to mention that Yuno told someone to "shove it up their-" um, well... you get what I'm trying to say."

"No!" Finral gaped, eyes wide in astonishment, "That's- that's impossible!"

"I wouldn't believe it either if I hadn't been there to see it." Klaus replied, the absurdity of his previous situation finally dawning upon him. "But it was real."

"Again, I feel the greatest empathy for your situation, however, do you know much I'd pay to see that in person?" Finral said, deathly serious, "Like, so much. I'd blow several paychecks just to get a glimpse."

"Oh, no, that's not even the best part!" Klaus continued, almost laughing, "Afterwards, when he made a snippy comment, Mimosa called him an asshole!"

"Okay, that one I can believe," Finral broke into a grin, "although, I'm surprised it took this long for her to do it."

"Me too!" Klaus rejoined, his smile fading, "At least it wasn't all a horrible, stressful mess."

"Yeah, thank god for immature teenagers." Finral sighed, scooting in a bit closer, "They're actually not bad sometimes, who knew?"

"I'm sure they'll go back to their usual frustrating ways soon enough." Klaus rolled his eyes, "I just hope they have time for a break before then."

"Unfortunately, with their track record, that's probably not going to happen. But I get what you mean." Finral grumbled, looking down, "At this point, my squad is just waiting for the ball to drop, the courts are gonna want to see Asta soon."

"That's... a troubling thought." Klaus said, slowly and with deep unease, "But I'm sure with the support of the Black Bulls, among others, that he'll be fine. I'm sure there are quite a few people willing to stand up for him, despite the fact his power is... suspicious in a time like this. And he's not one to give up easily."

"Okay, yeah, you're probably right." Finral took a deep breath, and smiled, "Thanks for that."

"Of course." Klaus nodded, pushing his frames up.

"Even if it was just to make me feel better." Finral teased.

"That was an added bonus, in my opinion." Klaus said, pointing up.

"Although, what would've worked better is if-" He stopped, lacing their hands together, "you would've just done that."

Klaus was sure that he couldn't breathe for a small moment, "O-Oh."

For the next minute, all he felt was heat in his cheeks, and the miserable pounding of his all-too human heart. But in a good way, he decided.

"S-Sorry!" Finral yelped, "Was- was that too much? Are you alright?"

"N-No!" Klaus stuttered, swallowing hard, "I just... was not expecting that."

"Well... if you say so." Finral began to wearily laugh, "You scared me there."

"You were scared? And here I was, convinced you were god-awful at flirting" Klaus shook his head.

"Wait! What?!" Finral gasped, "Who told you that? Was it Vanessa?!"

"Um. Well, please don't take offense, but... it's not hard to jump to that conclusion." Klaus meekly smiled, internally wincing.

"Oh!" Finral cried, grasping his chest with his one free hand, "You wound me! How can I ever recover from such a deep mark?"

"Ha ha. Very funny." Klaus deadpanned.

Finral continued, draping himself across the bed, "My emotional state is forever scared by your ruthless words, I must slumber for the rest of time, with the knowledge that you have given me. Oh, what a tortured existence!"

"Okay, get up, you're twisting my wrist." Klaus chastised, a smile forming. 

Finral sheepishly smiled as he sat up, trying not to laugh.

"Alright, wise guy, feel better now?" Klaus asked, his eyebrow cocked.

He coughed, "A bit."

"Wonderful." Klaus replied, amused.

"But what would really help is if-" He started.

"I'm going to throw you out if you say something cheesy and stupid." Klaus deadpanned.

"Okay, shutting up now." Finral sighed.

There was a moment of shared silence, before they both broke out in laughter. Even though everything was most definitely NOT okay, right then and there, it felt like it was.

"So," Finral said, taking in a shaky breath, "are you going to let go anytime soon?" He raised his hand, still clasped to Klaus'.

"Probably not." Klaus answered.

"Sounds good." Finral nodded, leaning back to stretch.

"When are you planning on leaving?" Klaus said, leaning forward.

"Not for a while." Finral responded, trying to crack his neck.

"Alright." Klaus smiled, satisfied with the answer.

Despite everything that had happened, and how utterly shitty it felt sometimes, life didn't seem entirely awful. As he thought about the person who sat there in front of him, all bright, overly ridiculous words and warranted concern, he just felt grateful. Grateful that he had people he could count on, even if he hadn't seen it before, and grateful that, for once, the universe seemed merciful.

And maybe it wouldn't last, maybe there would some new obstacle that would pop up, but it didn't seem to matter. He had his squadmates, his friends,, and Finral, and it all seemed... okay. He squeezed his hand, getting the other persons attention.

"Hey, just one thing." Klaus said, leaning in.

"What is it?" Finral asked, a confused look in his eyes.

"Can we try that thing again, you know, uh..." He felt the words die in his throat as his core seemed to catapult in temperature.

"I don't understa... oh." Finral stopped, realization striking. "O-Of course! I mean, only if you want to-"

Klaus leaned all the way forward, steadied his hands on Finral's shoulders, and kissed him. He pulled away.

"Trust me, I want to." He said in utmost seriousness.

"Right. Yeah, I knew that." Finral sputtered, nervously laughing.

After another moment of silence, they both leaned in, and met with another kiss. Not as scared, and utterly terrifying as it had been before, it was actually... nice. It felt... right.

If this was everything he'd worked for, fought for, to be free enough to do... this, he was satisfied. And as they broke apart, with stupid, happy looks pasted on both of their faces, it all seemed so beautiful. There was still so much to do, to talk about, the world was still messy and chaotic, destructively apathetic, but with the people he cared about by his side, he could stand to weather it.

Yeah, Klaus thought, he didn't have to face everything alone, he didnt have to do everything perfectly. He was only human, and while the nature of his condition seemed to be entirely cruel and disordered, he could say for certain, that right now, he was thanking the stars for it. That despite every awful, horrendous event and person, he had met some amazing people, he had met his friends, and that small moments like these existed. His world wasn't perfect or easy, and it probably wouldn't ever be, but now, while he still felt heat on his face, he was happy it ended up this way. It would be okay, he reminded himself while he held onto Finral, it would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! The end of an era, I'm both happy and sad to see this go, but I've got a few ideas kicking around for other stories and maybe a few oneshots in the future. Either way, this specific story has reached its end, and it's a bittersweet thing. If you can't tell, I read some Victorian literature and felt... compelled to write Ahelis like how they spoke.
> 
> Also! Chapter 238 never happened, the dark triad never came to Clover and everyone is happy. The end. That's it. They're happy and thriving, and that is all. I'm literally not acknowledging any other canon event after this, I'm too tired too. But, uh, fuck Spade, everyone is fine and happy.


End file.
